Harvesting Many 2nds Peaches Now

   Our thornless blackberry season has now ended, a couple days earlier than predicted.  Several groups picked 4 to 6 quarts each on Sat. morning Aug. 1, but since then each group has gotten a quart or less.

   We're just starting to harvest more peaches, and the greatest amount of peaches this year will be harvested from Aug. 4 to 22.  However, they are almost all seconds.  Cracks formed in the developing fruit as they tried to gain size during a severe 6-week drought, then when we finally got rain 3 weeks ago, we also got hail, causing further damage to the fruit.

   2nds peaches are fine for cutting into chunks or slices and freezing or eating them.  I eat ‘Intrepid’ peach chunks each morning on my cereal, and each afternoon on frozen yogurt, and always use 2nds or 3rds peaches.

   Harvested #1 peaches cost $1.34 per pound + sales tax, and we have only a few pounds for sale, which sell very quickly.  2nds peaches cost just $0.93 per pound + sales tax.

This morning our workers started harvesting 'Glowingstar' peaches, and got about 12 pounds of #1 peaches like these plus about 30 pounds of 2nds.

   All our peach varieties from now on are freestone, meaning they come clean from the stone or pit when cut.  All are very flavorful, and I give taste samples.  Each variety ripens over a 10-14 day period, so we grow many different varieties that provide a succession of ripening over 8 weeks or so.

   We've now sold out of #1 'GoldRush' apples, but we still have a few pounds of #1 'Enterprise' apples and some selections from my apple breeding program for sale.  We'll have 2nds 'GoldRush' and 'Enterprise' apples for sale until mid-late Aug.  Harvested #1 apples cost $1.30 per pound + sales tax, and harvested #2 apples cost just $0.93 per pound + sales tax.

   We're open our Summer Hours, shown in the left sidebar, until Aug. 31.  However, if you're coming only for peaches, please arrive after 9 a.m. to give our workers time to harvest the peaches.  If you come in the evening, arrive here between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., since it now gets dark at 8:40 p.m.