SC_11Sum 16

peachy keen
Sweet and juicy, p
peaches have long been
a summertime fav
favorite. Schnucks has
partnered with tw
two family-owned farms,
EEckert’s
ckert’ FFarms in Illinois and Flippen Fruit
Farm in Tennessee, to provide the highest
quality
quality, finest tasting peaches.
Fruit trees
tr
were first planted on the Eckert’s
farm in 1862. Now operated by the sixth and
sevent
seventh generations of the family, peach trees
are nott allowed to bear fruit until
u
they are
tthree years
y
old. Each year, blo
blooms on young
trees
ees are
are removed, allowing th
the trees to
dev
evelo
op a good root system.
develop
Flippen
n Fruit Farm is located o
on the bluffs
above Reelfort Lake in the no
northwest corner
of Tenn
nessee. The 180-acre or
Tennessee.
orchard boasts
18,000
0 peach trees, providing some
40 varieties.
varieties. At different times of the year,
each variety
vaariety will be harvested for an average
of ten tto 14 days. The trees wi
will not bear fruit
again until
u
the following seas
season.
28
peaches, choose slightly firm, plump peaches
that yield to slight pressure. Look at the
background color of the fruit – a yellow
tone indicates sweet flavor, while green will
result in a less flavorful peach. Blushes are
an indicator of the variety of peach, not its
ripening status.
Peaches require additional time after
purchase to reach maximum juiciness. To do
this, place your peaches in a paper bag and
store at room temperature for two to three
days. Refrigerating unripe peaches will inhibit
the ripening process and cause the fruit to
become dry, mealy and flavorless. Once the
peaches ripen, they can be refrigerated for
five to seven days.
To easily peel this fruit, place in boiling
water for one minute and then immerse in
ice water for a minute. It helps to toss peeled
or cut peaches with fresh lemon juice to
curb browning.
The secret
seccret of a perfect peach lies in treeripenin
ng. Allowing the fruit to reach its
ripening.
maxim
mum sweetness before h
maximum
harvesting
increas
ses sugar content. When
Whe selecting
increases
However prepared – fresh and raw, or
bubbling in a classic peach crisp – peaches
are the fruit of summer.
Jack & Diane Flippen of Flippen Fruit Farm, Troy, Tennessee
Chris Eckert of Eckert’s Farms, Belleville, Illinois