Selection Tips

• Smell the peach. The peach is a member of the rose family and should have a pleasingly sweet fragrance.
• Look for a creamy gold to yellow under-color. The red or "blush" of a peachis an indication of variety, not ripeness.
• Peaches should be soft to the touch but not mushy.
• Look for a well defined crease that runs from the stem to the point.
• Don't squeeze peaches; they bruise easily.
• Place firm peaches on the counter for a day or two, and they'll ripen.
• Promptly refrigerate ripe peaches and eat them within a week of purchase.
• To peel a peach, dip it into boiling water for 30 seconds, then in cold water. The peel should slide off easily.
• To keep sliced peaches from darkening, add lemon juice or ascorbic acid.

Conversion Tips

One pound peaches=	3 medium peaches
	2 cups sliced peaches
	1 1/2 cup peach puree

Nutritional Information

Georgia Peaches Delicious and Nutritious a delicious & natural treat	Serving Size:	1 medium peach
	Calories	40
	Protein	.06 g
	Carbohydrates	10g
	Fat	0 g
	Cholesterol	0 m
	Sodium	0 mg
	Dietary Fiber	1.5 g
	Vitamin A	47RE

 

Delicious and nutritious ... Georgia peaches offer the perfect combination of flavor and nutrition. Enjoy Georgia peaches in a wide variety of appetizers, entrees, desserts and everything in between.

• Georgia peaches are virtually fat free. A medium size peach contains less than one gram of fat.
• Georgia peaches are naturally sodium free.
• Georgia peaches have no cholesterol.
• Georgia peaches are a low calorie snack. A medium size peach contains only 40 calories.
• Georgia peaches contain vitamin A which helps us see in dim light.
• Georgia peaches are considered a good source of fiber. The skin of a peach provides both roughage and fiber.

Some Peachy Ideas

As a general rule take care to avoid any bruising of your peaches in the picking process or in the preparation process. The peaches should be both ripe yet still firm. Very soft peaches will not cook or freeze well.

To Peel Easily:

Place the peaches to be peeled in a colander, very thin cloth bag, the basket, or drop directly into a deep pot of boiling water for approximately one minute. Make sure that the entire peach is submerged and that the peaches are free enough for water to flow all around them.

1. After the one minute in the boiling water, immediately plunge the peaches into cold water. You may need to add a few ice cubes to keep the water cold.
2. The skin should come off the peach in large peels.
3. If peaches are slightly under-ripe, allow them to remain in the hot water a little longer to loosen the peel It will also improve their flavor.

To Freeze:

Select varieties that are most suitable for freezing that are grown in your area. Your State Department of Agriculture can provide the information.

1. Freeze within 12 hours of picking time, if possible.
2. Prepare and freeze peaches only about 3 pints at one time. Then repeat the process until all peaches are frozen.
3. Make a syrup of three cups sugar per four cups water for a medium sweetness. Peaches should taste slightly sweeter than desired at this stage to be the proper flavor after freezing. Simply stir the sugar into the water to dissolve. No heating is necessary.
4. Add an ascorbic add mixture bought at the grocery store and follow the directions on the package.
5. Pack sliced peaches into polyethylene containers, allowing room to add about 1/2 cup of sugar syrup, and allowing about 1/2 inch per pint expansion room. More room will be needed for larger containers. Pack the containers to force out as much air as possible since air dries out the peaches when frozen.
6. Place tops on containers according to manufacturer's instructions.
7. Label and date containers.
8. Place containers as quickly as possible into the coldest part of your freezerallowing room around the containers to promote fast freezing. Containers can be packed more economically space wise after one day of freezing.
9. Thaw in the refrigerator in the container.

This is not the only method to use. You may have a method that you prefer that has been successful.

Measurements:

1. About 2 medium to large peaches = 1 cup sliced peaches.

2. About 4 medium peaches = 1 cup pureed peach.

Substitutions:

In most recipes, frozen or canned peaches can be substituted for fresh peaches. The frozen and canned peaches have already been sweetened; therefore, the amount of sugar called for in a recipe will have to be adjusted. Also, the peaches should usually be drained before using.

How to plant a peach pit

1. If you save a peach pit you can grow a stone fruit tree. 
2. After you have eaten the peach, clean the pit and store it in the refrigerator until September or October.
3. Place the pit about five inches beneath the soil surface.
4. Your tree will begin to grow in the spring!
5. Keep the tree watered and fertilized and you'll have fruit in 2-3 years!

Peach Production Stages

Dormancy (Nov — Feb)

At this stage peach trees require chilling below 45 degrees for hundreds of hours.  Pruning is the most important task during dormancy and is performed manually on each individual tree.  Herbicides are used at this time to eliminate winter broad leaf weeds and also decrease the need for pesticides later.  The greatest risk factor during dormancy are mild winters with too few chilling hours or near zero temperatures which can kill the peach tree. 

Bloom Stage (March — April)

During this season peach trees are sprayed to control disease and insects.  Peach thinning is done to reduce the crop load, resulting in the largest, highest quality peaches.   Thinning is the process of removing blooms or peaches manually.  Other factors of concern during this stage are late frosts and severe weather conditions.

Packing and shipping are next.  Timeliness is the prominent factor during this period.  Peaches are driven from the fields to the packinghouse where they are placed in a hydro-cooler.  This eliminates dust and slows down the ripening process in order to increase shelf life.  Peaches are then grouped into varieties for packing.   They are graded manually and inspected for defects.  Blemished and soft peaches are regarded and sold as seconds at a discounted price.  The #1 peaches are sorted by size, with the largest ones having the highest demand.  After being placed in our custom-made boxes, the peaches are loaded on pallets and shipped by truck.  Peaches are in stores within three days of picking.

As much as possible, peaches are sold prior to harvest. In 2011 Dickey Farms partnered with Duke Lane, III, VP of Lane Packing to sell the peaches that Dickey Farms produced and packed. With this sales arrangement both growers were able get better market penetration and volume because they were able to provide the highest quality fruit to the market on a timely basis.