Introducing Georgia Peaches
Move over Peanut Butter and Jelly—there is a new dynamic duo trending this summer: Georgia Peaches + Georgia Pecans.
Sunnyland is proud to share that we now have the freshest, juiciest, sweetest Georgia Peaches for sale, courtesy of your favorite Georgia pecan farmers.
Georgia Peaches 101
We at Sunnyland Farms love educating our customers about the “behind the scenes” of where their favorite nuts, pecans, and goodies come from. We hope you enjoy learning more about this famous fellow Georgia produce staple we share Georgia Peach fun facts.
When Is Georgia Peach Season?
Unlike pecan season (which takes place in the fall), Peach season is around 10-14 weeks in the summer, traditionally starting around mid-June and ending in early August. July is peak peach season, as well as peak Georgia heat (we have a saying – “hotter than Georgia asphalt”)
What Factors Contribute to a Great Peach Harvest?
Peaches require a certain number of chill hours (below 45 F) in order to rest and produce a good yield. Certain varieties require more chill hours than others, but most require at least 50 hours.
Are Peach Trees Similar to Pecan Trees?
Peach trees are much smaller than pecan trees and thus planted much closer together. Depending on the spacing of the orchard, there can be between 141 – 200 peach trees per acre. Traditional spacing for pecan trees allowed around 25 trees per acre, and newer hedging practices increased that to 35-50 trees per acre.
Why Buy Peaches in Georgia?
Even Justin Bieber gets his peaches down in Georgia—because they’re the best! Georgia peaches are sweeter, juicier, and more flavorful than other peaches thanks to favorable farming conditions:
- Our dirt: about 12-18 inches under the topsoil is a dense layer of Georgia’s famous red clay soil, which is packed with minerals and nutrients
- Moderate humidity, hot nights, and a seasonal climate which equals perfect weather for growth
Sourcing Only the Best Peaches from Georgia
At Sunnyland, we work with only the best farmers. Whether it is Macadamia nuts sourced internationally or peaches grown just up the road in our home state, our promise is to deliver “Only the Best” from pecans to peaches.
At Sunnyland, generational “know-how” is something we take very seriously. We’ve been selling pecans for more than 75 years, and our peaches come from Fort Valley, where they’ve been growing peaches for more than 100 years. We share the highest standards in providing the finest and best for our customers.
How Are Peaches Picked and Shipped? With Patience and Precision! (say that 5 times as fast as you can)
The art of picking the perfect peach is all about patience: pulling the peach off the tree at the very last moment. This guarantees all of the sugar is available to it, but the peach itself is still firm.
This is how we guarantee the best peaches for our customers and why we’re meticulous about shipping and packaging (with peaches, patience is a virtue). Peaches are brought from the orchard into the packing house, triple-graded, and hand-packed into a box filled with foam inserts. They are then shipped straight to your front door within days of hanging on a tree.
Talk about tree to table!
How Should You Store Peaches?
We’re glad you asked, because this is important: we ask that our peaches never be refrigerated. Simply leave them on the counter until they have reached juicy perfection. If you have to refrigerate them to extend the life of the peach, only place them in your fridge after they have reached peak maturity & ripeness.
How Can You Tell If a Peach is Ready to Eat?
Channel your inner farmer and use your senses:
- Smell: peaches are a member of the rose family and will emit a “peachy” smell
- Touch: you can very lightly squeeze them each day until they yield to the pressure.
- Sight: look for the background color: train your eyes to pick out the yellow hues of a peach. When that color turns from vibrant/electric yellow to a pastel/sherbert yellow, it is ready to eat
- Sound: listen for a sigh of satisfaction after the first juicy bite
- Taste: eating a peach out of your hands is the farmer’s favorite way to eat peaches, but you can also grill them and serve them as a side dish, make peach/mozzarella/basil salad drizzled with balsamic, add cool whip after dinner for a healthy dessert. OR, try our signature Sunnyland Maple Peach Pecan Bars recipe brought to you by Staci Willson herself.
Enjoy – shop our delicious Georgia Peaches today and try them for yourself!