Peach Cobbler
Recipes and Tips for making Delicious Peach Cobbler!
History of the Peach
In China, where peaches originated, the peach has mystical attributes, and supposedly brings luck, abundance and protection. Originally growing in North China in areas of erosion and overgrazing, peaches became a symbol of fertility and of affection. Peaches were reproduced in porcelain and sung about in verse. Dumplings shaped like peaches were special for birthdays. Even the wood of the peach tree was carved into amulets. Today, brides in Japan and China carry peach blossoms, just as American counterparts would carry orange blossoms, and peach blossoms are used to celebrate the New Year. Perhaps T.S. Eliot was right in questioning if he dare eat so mystic a fruit.
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Once discovered, these wild Chinese peaches traveled widely and developed into many strains. The Romans called the peaches "Persian Apples" naming them after the country that introduced peaches to the West. Writing about peaches in the first century, Pliny mentions several varieties, and states that they were introduced to Persia from Egypt, not a peach producing country today. France took peaches, in all their varieties, to its heart, and gave the fruit feminine names, an association of peaches and the female that continues to this day, most likely based on beauty. Among the named varieties were Belle de Vitry, Belle de Chevreuse and Téton de Vénus or 'nipple of Venus'. Although the Chinese had pioneered growing espaliered peaches, the French discovered this method independently, and the growers in Montreuil, a Paris suburb, claimed this as their secret to producing the best peaches. Louis XIV loved peaches so much that he awarded a pension to the man who provided him with peaches from Montreuil.
The peach spread to the New World on Spanish explorers' ships. Several tribes of Native American Indians were particularly fond of peaches, and cultivated them assiduously. In Pennsylvania, William Penn wrote that there was "not an Indian plantation without them." It is probable that the spread of peaches was due to the Native Americans. Thomas Jefferson planted peaches at Monticello in 1802. In the varied climate of America, peaches first found a home in the southern states that had enough warmth to give them ideal growing conditions. Georgia was named "the Peach State" for its abundant output. But peaches traveled up the eastern seaboard, and when 'go west, young man' sent thousands of youths trekking across the country, dried peaches were part of the journey. The gold rush was on, the population of California swelled, and the demand for peaches outweighed their availability. In what was then the tent city of Sacramento, a can of peaches cost $5.00. But it was there in Sutter County that two farmers, A. F. Abbott and Joseph Phillips, developed a variety of cling peaches that led to canning as the clingstone holds both texture and flavor. A turn of the century San Francisco landmark, the Cannery, today used as a waterfront marketplace, was once the largest peach cannery in the world. Today California is the major producer of peaches, followed by South Carolina and then Georgia.
Never ask where the best peaches come from. A southerner will claim his state, a New Jerseyite will grow teary-eyed thinking of white Jersey peaches, while the great agricultural areas of California will grow indignant and claim the ideal weather conditions exist in California. There is one caveat, however, and that is that there are no peaches quite as good as the ones picked ripe and sold at a roadside stand. These are summer memories, but in winter we have canned peaches, and the good news is that their nutritional value remains high.
The Peach Industry: History and Facts
Georgia's peach industry has a long tradition. The first peaches were planted in the state in the 18th century, and the first commercial production occurred in the mid-19th century.
Although it is still called the Peach State, and Georgia peaches are arguably the sweetest and tastiest grown anywhere in the world, Georgia ranks third nationally in acreage devoted to peaches (with 11,500 acres in 2006) and in production (behind California and South Carolina). In 2006, the Georgia peach crop totaled 74 million pounds and brought in $33 million.
Georgia's peach industry is concentrated in Peach, Crawford, Taylor and Macon counties along the fall line, the transition zone between Georgia's Piedmont and Coastal Plain. This area is far enough north to receive sufficient winter chilling, but far enough south to avoid late frosts and guarantee early harvest dates. The early harvest allows premium prices for the crop. Additionally, the sandy loam soils of the fall line are more favorable to peach production than the Piedmont's heavy clays or the Coastal Plain's sands.
Fresh Georgia peaches are available only 16 weeks each year, from mid-May to August. Georgia enjoys important production and marketing advantages, primarily its proximity to eastern markets and favorable prices because of early harvests and high-quality fruit production.
Nearly all peaches grown in Georgia are sold in the wholesale fresh market, with a small percentage sold at roadside markets. There is no significant processing of peaches in Georgia.
First grown in China almost 4,000 years ago, peaches spread from their homeland to the western world via India and Persia where they were first cultivated. 
Peaches were later introduced into Europe and Christopher Columbus brought peach seeds to the new world on his second and third trips. These seeds eventually found their way to the red clay soil of middle Georgia where they were planted on acres of land which would later become Peach County.
Though peaches were originally planted in St. Augustine, Fla., Franciscan monks introduced them to St. Simons and Cumberland islands along Georgia's coast in 1571. By the mid-1700s peaches and plums were cultivated by the Cherokee Indians. Before the Civil War, increasing numbers of home orchards were planted in Georgia.
Raphael Moses, a planter and Confederate officer from Columbus, was among the first to market peaches within Georgia in 1851 and is credited with being the first to ship and sell peaches successfully outside of the South. His method of shipping peaches in champagne baskets, rather than in pulverized charcoal, helped to preserve the flavor of the fruit and contributed to his success.
Considerable expansion of peach acreage occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, resulting in an all-time high production of almost eight million bushels by 1928. Since then production has decreased to about 2.6 million bushels annually.
The first Georgia peaches were shipped to the New York market between 1858 and 1860. They were transported by wagon to Augusta, then by shallow-draft boat to Savannah, and finally by steamship to New York. Georgia earned its "Peach State" designation during the three decades following the Civil War.
Peach expansion in acreage and production was fueled by several factors. The abolition of slavery forced farmers to search for alternatives to the traditional labor-intensive cotton crop. Peaches, in particular, benefited from this transition.
The Georgia State Horticultural Society, founded near Augusta in 1876, promoted the introduction and testing of many fruit varieties and their distribution throughout the state while under the leadership of Prosper J.A. Berckmans, a nurseryman and pomologist. The old Fruitlands Nursery is now the site of the Augusta National Golf Club, home to the annual Masters Tournament.
Berckmans became famous for introducing new fruit varieties that were more suitable for growing in southern climates. He developed or improved many types of peaches and eventually became known as the "Father of Peach Culture" across the South. Among his varieties were the South Chinese (or Honey) peach and the Chinese Cling. From the Chinese Cling, Prosper eventually bred the Elberta, Belle and Thurber peaches, which became Georgia's primary commercial varieties. His Thurber peach was the leading variety until it was replaced by the Elberta, which was later improved by Samuel Rumph.
Rumph, a Marshallville peach grower, perfected the new peach variety in 1870, which he named for his wife, Elberta. This yellow-fleshed peach was of superior quality and shipped better than previous varieties. Elberta remained the leading peach in Georgia until 1960, but newer varieties have since replaced the Elberta in commercial use. Although the Elberta remains the most famous peach name, Georgia now produces more than 40 commercial varieties ... and the Elberta is not one of them.
Rumph also pioneered improvements in rail transportation and the development of the refrigerated rail car which allowed rapid shipments to northern markets on a large scale.
The Pearson family has been growing peaches and pecans for more than 100 years on the same land worked by grandparents of current managing partner Al Pearson.
Big 6 Farm is comprised of 1,500 acres of peaches and 2,000 acres of pecans. This family farm produces a bounty of fruit and nuts with the finest being used in Mary Pearson's mail order business, Pearson Farms.
Four generations of Pearsons have farmed the red clay of Peach and Crawford Counties, growing peaches, pecans, asparagus, timber, cotton, corn and other crops. Moses Winlock Pearson and his wife Cornelia moved to this area a little more than 100 years ago and planted the first peach trees for the Pearson family. There were six sons and six daughters. One son, Al Pearson's grandfather John, started farming on his own, adding more land to the family holdings and planting more peaches.
Eventually, Lawton, the youngest son of John and Rosa Lee Pearson, and his wife Laurie began to work with the family farm in Zenith. Under Lawton's leadership, the company continued to grow and prosper. The fourth generation started working in the packing shed and on the roadside selling peaches in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Big 6 Farm has met the food safety standards and Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) guidelines set by the USDA and the FDA. Big 6 has also met the audit standards established under the Georgia GP Food Safety Programs. It is one of only three farms in Georgia to earn this designation and the only peach and pecan farm.
Founded in 1908 by John David Duke as Diamond Fruit Farm, Lane Packing Co. farms more than 2,500 acres of peach trees and 2,000 acres of pecans. Located just outside of Fort Valley, the fourth generation family operation now grows more than 30 varieties of peaches.
John David Duke built his first peach packing house in 1942. J.D, Duke Packing Co. was taken over by his son-in-law David O. Lane, and grandson, Duke Lane, Sr. in 1950 and the packing shed became known as Lane Packing Co.
Following the retirement of his father, Duke Lane Sr. became sole owner and, until 1975, continued to pack peaches at the same location his grandfather built in 1942.
In 1976, Duke Lane Sr. formed a partnership with the Russell Pearson family. Together they built a more modern packing house and named the company Pearson & Lane. This partnership remained in place until 1989. After the 1989 season, the Lane family began construction of a new packing house on the family farm. This facility is one of the most modern of its kind and was ready just in time for the 1990 crop.
With the new packing house built, Duke Lane Sr. turned the business over to his four children -- Duke Jr., Bobby, Anne and Steve -- who continue to run it today.
If you take the pit from a peach and plant it, a peach tree may grow. It takes about three years for the tree to begin producing fruit. Remember, the fruit you get may look nothing like the peach the pit came from (you do not look exactly like your parents). It is interesting to plant pits from white fleshed peaches or from nectarines.
Some peaches will not germinate no matter what you do--it depends on the parents. Some peach variety seeds germinate easily, some poorly, some not at all. Seed from early season varieties (Red Haven season and before) do not germinate readily, and the very early season will not germinate without laboratory culturing work called embryo rescue. So try pits from several different peach varieties.
Store the seed in a plastic bag in a refrigerator. The seed should be nearly dry at this point. However, do not put them in the refrigerator if it has apples or banana. These fruit release a ripening gas called ethylene. Or simply store the pits at room temperature, but out of the sun.
Planting seed outside: In the fall plant the pits about 3 inches deep. A successful gardener can advise you here. Mark where you put it so that you can watch for the sprout coming out of the soil in late spring. This system generally works if you live in the northern 2/3s of the United States where the soil temperatures get cold enough. Plant as many as you can of different varieties to increase your chance of getting a seed that will germinate. The orientation of the pit is not important--the roots and the sprouting top will sense the right way to grow. Ground squirrels have been known to tunnel and eat the seeds just as they start to send out roots, so be on guard.
Planting seed indoors: Yes, you can plant pits directly in soil in your house. Good quality soil is important--a good balance of sand, silt & organic matter. The soil should be firm around the pit. The soil should be slightly moist to the touch. If you squeeze the soil in your hand and water drips out, it is too wet (unless you just watered). Again, the typical amount for good growth as a seasoned gardener can advise you. If the soil is saturated with water continuously, the pit tends to rot.
A better approach to planting seed is to clean and dry the seed, store the seed until December and use a cold treatment to induce the seed to germinate. The method is as follows.
Cold treatment (stratification): After the pits are removed from the peach, remove the flesh thoroughly, wash under tap water and dry them overnight. If they attract fruit flies, scrub to remove flesh of peach, wash in water, then dry them overnight again.
Store the dried seed in a plastic bag with the opening slightly open and then into a refrigerator (don't store with apples). If you don't have a refrigerator without apples, then store the bagged seed at room temperature out of the sun. The seed should be nearly dry so that they do not mold. You should see very slight condensation on the inside of the bag. If the seed appear completely dry add a slight bit of moisture to the bag, shake, and then drain completely.
Keep the seed like this until December or January. At this time, soak the pit in tap water for a few hours, then put the seed into slightly moistened soil, vermiculite, or perlite (available from garden supply store) in a plastic bag. Store in the refrigerator (temperature 34 F to 42 F). & start checking for germination after about 1 1/2 months. If you are fortunate, it will start to develop a root. At that time, transfer to a pot with soil and grow as a normal plant. Plant it outside in the spring when the chance for frost is past.
Instead of working with a whole pit, you can use hand clippers to remove the hull from the pit before stratifying. This increases the chances for successful stratification and germination. However, it takes practice to avoid nicking the brown cover of the seed (see picture below on left). Put the seed into a plastic bag with enough good quality soil, vermiculite or perlite to cover. The soil should be just barely moist. Put the zip lock bag in your refrigerator. It will generally take 2 to 3 months to see growth. Transplant to a pot once the root is 1/2 inch or more in length.
A peach is softer than apples or most other fruit, so it important to pick a peach using the sides of your fingers rather than the tips. If you use the tips of your finger to hold the peach, then you will put little dents in the peach. Using the sides of your fingers is gentler and less likely to cause bruising. Grab the peach firmly and pull it straight off the branch.
Peach Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 2 medium peaches (174 g), about 1 cup)
Calories |
70 |
% Daily Value* |
Total Fat |
0 grams |
0 % |
Saturated fat |
0 grams |
0 % |
Cholesterol |
0 grams |
0 % |
Sodium |
0 milligrams |
0 % |
Potassium |
331 milligrams |
10 % |
Total carbohydrate |
19 grams |
6 % |
Dietary fiber |
1 gram |
4 % |
Sugars |
16 gram |
|
Protein |
1 gram |
|
Vitamin A |
|
20% |
Vitamin C |
|
20% |
Peaches are a tasty treat with modest calories, a good source of potassium, vitamins A & C, low sodium, no saturated fat. Peaches are a healthful snack and a smart, low calorie way to end a meal.
As a peach ripens, the part facing the sun gets a reddish blush and the part not exposed to sun (ground color) turns from green to yellow. The best way to tell if a peach is ripe is by looking for a yellow ground color. Some varieties will have a slight green color to the background even when it is ready to pick. The peach will also have medium-soft flesh and will smell like a peach.
All of the fruit on a tree does not ripen at the same time. Usually, fruits on the outside and top of a tree will ripen 5 to 10 days before the fruits in the middle and inside part of the tree. Also, different varieties of peaches ripen at different times. Early-ripening varieties may ripen weeks ahead of other varieties. Some varieties such as Redhaven require 4 to 5 harvests in order to pick the fruit at the best stage.
One method to determine fruit ripeness is to use a penetrometer to measure fruit softness. For peaches we use a hand-held gauge (example brand: McCormick) with an eight millimeter diameter tip. Remove an 18 mm diameter piece of skin from the size of a peach with a blade. Slowly push the probe into the fruit until the guidemark is covered (about 10 mm) and record the pressure. Peaches for shipping are picked at 11 to 14 lb. Peaches at 7 to 10 lb are "well mature". Fruit which reach 6 to 8 lb pressure are considered "ready to buy". Fruit with 2 to 3 lb flesh firmness are considered "ready to eat". (Adapted from the California Tree Fruit Agreement Program).
Peaches that are firmer than approximately 8 lb should not be refrigerated. Keep them at 50 F to 77 F until they soften below 8 lb and start to develop a peach aroma. At this point they can be refrigerated for several days.
A peach and a nectarine are very similar. Genetically, there is not much difference between the two. The main difference is that a peach has fuzz on its skin while a nectarine does not.
Nectarines are a bit more likely to be affected by diseases such as brown rot and bacterial spot. Many nectarine varieties have a spicy "zing" to their taste. The nectarine is thought to have originated as a mutant of the peach.
For the more advanced reader: The nectarine characteristic is controlled by a single recessive gene. In order for a tree to be a nectarine type, it has to receive the nectarine gene "g" from both parents. The cross between two nectarines will always result in nectarine offspring. Most peaches are homozygous for "G", the peach characteristic. Two peach varieties that have a single nectarine gene are Autumnglo and Encore.
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