2015 Season Preview Of Georgia Peaches

FORT VALLEY, GA – The 2015 Georgia Peach season is expected to be outstanding. This year’s extended winter chill hours were optimum as the orchards received up to 1,200 hours under 40 degrees.  Plenty of "beauty rest" combined with expected searing hot summertime temperatures in the mid-to-high 90s, has created the perfect mix for some of the most flavorful, sweet Georgia Peaches yet.

Growers expect to see the first arrival of this quintessential summertime fruit the week of May 18th. Varieties including the Flavorich around Memorial Day all the way to the August Prince in late August plan to delight retailers around the country and shoppers who anticipate Georgia Peaches and know that Summer has arrived, with the first taste of Sweet Georgia Peaches.

“We’re so fortunate to have inherited the land that our great-great-grandfathers planted in Georgia over 140 years ago.  The geography always produces the most flavorful, juicy peaches,” notes Duke Lane III, president of the Georgia Peach Council. “Combined with an optimum number of chill hours, the ridiculously hot expected summer temperatures are helping this season shape up to look like one of the sweetest.”

The farms stretch across 10,000 acres famously known as the Fort Valley Plateau.  It is here where 90% of Georgia Peaches are grown, accounting for superior quality peaches.  Consistent temperatures, mineral-rich red clay soils and high humidity are perfect ingredients for super-sweet peaches.  With more than 140 years of farming Georgia peaches, the land itself has helped Georgia earn the title the “Peach State”.

The obsession for freshness is another factor in having sweet, flavorful peaches each season. With the vast majority of fruit being picked, packed and shipped in the same day, Georgia Peaches are as ripe as they can be from farm-to-table.

Versatility is the focus of the 2015 Georgia Peach season. A library of recipes with colorful photography is featured on the Georgia Peach Council’s website (www.gapeaches.org) sharing everything from peach smoothies for breakfast to peach caprese salad and grilled peaches over summertime Grouper. There are also desserts and preserves for those who have taken up the old-time favorite – ‘canning’ peaches.

Georgia is known throughout the world for its famous mouth-watering peaches. Each year, the state produces more than 80 million pounds of the fruit between mid-May – mid-August. Delicious and nutritious, Georgia peaches are high in fiber and vitamins, A, C, and potassium. For more information, facts and to browse our recipe gallery, go to www.gapeaches.org, Like us on Facebook at SweetGeorgiaPeaches, follow us on Twitter @GAPeachCouncil and Instagram @GAPeachCouncil.

Source: Georgia Peach Council