National Peach Month recognizes the fuzzy stone fruit that provides us with a bounty of sweet goodness all summer long!

As an industry, the peach plays a mighty role in our food supply and economy. From orchard to factory, restaurants to bakeries and grocers, this fruit delivers. We enjoy them fresh off the tree and baked into our favorite desserts. Well-thumbed recipes leap off the page ready to be made as soon as the peaches are ripe.

Generally speaking, there are two types of peaches – freestone and clingstone. The flesh determines the type of peach. How the flesh comes away from the stone or the pit in the middle of the peach gives it the name. When the meat comes away freely from the stone, the peach is a freestone peach; if the flesh clings to the peach, it’s a clingstone.

While Georgia may be the first state to come to mind when we think of peaches, California actually leads the nation in production. In the United States, 20 states produce peaches commercially. Besides California and Georgia, the other two top producers are South Carolina and New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Washington grow a lot of peaches, too.

Find a local farmers market here.

This sweet stone fruit makes delicious ice cream when it’s very ripe and full of peachy juices. However, you don’t have to use fresh peaches to make this ice cream. Buy frozen peaches if the grocery or farmer’s markets don’t have them in yet. The family will love making homemade ice cream together. The best part will be eating up the finished product on a hot summer day.

All season long, the peach juices are running. Whether we are canning, baking or freezing, or even sending the family out for more, we can’t get enough of peaches!

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPeachMonth

Enjoy your favorite peach recipes during the height of the peach season. Share some with us! Use #NationalPeachMonth to share on social media.

NATIONAL PEACH MONTH HISTORY

In March of 1982, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July to be National Peach Month. The National Peach Council promoted National Peach month activities and encouraged everyone to “reach for a peach” during the month of July.

RELEVANT OBSERVANCES

January 13 – Peach Melba Day
April 13 – Peach Cobbler Day.         June 21 – Peaches and Cream Day
July 17 – Peach Ice Cream Day
August 24 – Peach Pie Day