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.