Why the Palisade Peach is So Good
It’s not the peaches in Palisade peaches that taste so good; it’s the Palisade. Every element of Palisade’s place on Colorado’s Western Slope conspires to produce fruit unlike that from anywhere else: Dry, clear mountain air combined with lofty, closer-to-the-sun orchards allows for intense and unrefracted sunlight. That results in high pigment concentration in both fruit and skin (just like humans who tan poolside).
A constant day-to-night temperature swing—very warm daytimes and super-cool nighttimes—slowly ripens and develops both fruit sugars and flavor molecules, as well as retains fruity acidity, giving a Palisade peach not only luscious sweetness and flavor but also tangy, snappy definition.
Throughout history, the peach has been thought of loftily, its blossom adorning the hair of brides in both China and Japan as a symbol of both virginity and fertility, a floral hat trick if you think about it.
More than 300 varieties of peach grow in the U.S. alone, while over 2,000 grow globally. Six varieties constitute just over half of Colorado’s famed peach crop, after the near-total dominance of the Elberta peach in earlier years. They are the O’Henry, Redhaven, Glohaven, Suncrest, Red Globe and Cresthaven. (Read more about Colorado crops here.)
Scientists have discovered peach endocarps (fossilized pits) dating back 2.5 million years ago—preceding humans—in Kunming, China, although widespread cultivation there dates back merely (!) to the 10th century B.C.
Despite its Chinese origins, the biological name for the peach is prunus Persica, a reference to its proliferation in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). It is also a nod to the trade route that carried the peach from China along the Great Silk Road through Persia and onto the West.
Recipes: Just peachy recipes for DIY Peach and Tuna Poke, a delicious Agrodolce (a sweet-tart jam or “sauce”) made with Palisade peaches and Fresno chiles, and a savory Peach Pilaf to serve alongside a meat, chicken, tofu, or seafood stew (or tajine).
Also, as a reminder that the full name of “guacamole” is “guacamole salad,” a recipe for Spicy Peach-Accented Guacamole, as well as tips aplenty for Cooking with Stone Fruits (of which family peaches are def a part) and a recipe for a Stone Fruit Monte Cristo Sandwich.