Peach season kicked off last week, as most South Carolina farmers began harvesting their crop. However, the bulk of South Carolina's Upstate harvest won't be available until around mid June, and freestone peaches won't be ready for picking until early July. I just had my first peach cobbler on Memorial Day, and although I'm biased, I'd have to say that fresh, local peaches make all the difference. One of the greatest obstacles for local peach farmers is educating consumers on the differences between South Carolina and California peaches.
Customers often go to the chain stores and select peaches based solely on appearance.
California peaches, while large in size and bright of color, lack flavor. These peaches may have been picked up to a week prior to shipping and can spend up to four days in a truck making their way to South Carolina. The sunny, dry weather in the Southeast has led to particularly good color and quality in South Carolina's early peaches. Fruit size has also been good so far this season. There are over 200 million pounds of peaches harvested in South Carolina in a normal year.