Wolff’s Apple House sells some of its selection of peaches from Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown, Berks County. And its owner, Ed Weaver, has plenty of peach smarts regularly on the mind from growing them each year.
He raises 15 acres of peach trees, primarily freestone varieties.
Weaver notes that one unique attribute of peaches is that they’re a rare fuzzy-skinned kind of fruit, with kiwi and quince as some others.
“Peaches need a lot of moisture in the last few weeks before they’re harvested,” Weaver says. “If they don’t have enough water, the fruit doesn’t get as large in size.”
A drip irrigation system in the fields helps to ensure that the peaches soak up plenty of moisture before picking time strolls into the scenery.
Weaver also adds that when a summer season is too wet, sugar cells in peaches don’t develop quite as well.
“But you get sweeter fruit during a dry year more than during a wet year,” he says, explaining that this really means the peach trees just want plenty of sun.
Loring and Cresthaven are some peach varieties Wolff’s carries from Weaver’s Orchard.
Galaxy and Saturn (also known as donut or peento) peaches in a more sprawled out width are also varieties Wolff’s stocks freshly from the Weaver Family.
And white-flesh peaches are better for people with acid reflux problems due to the fruit’s lower acidity, Weaver points out.
One detail many people may not think about is that a lot of peaches are shipped to this part of the country from Georgia and California, which by default means the fruit is picked before it’s ripe, preparing to sit in transit.
“Peaches on our trees are on there a week longer than the ones grown in other parts of the country,” Weaver says.
Then there are the perks of meal-time to consider for the glorious peaches of your palate’s choosing.
“Slicing peaches and putting them on top of vanilla ice cream is one of my favorite ways to eat them,” he says.
But he also recommends peach dumplings, which are now for sale at the Weaver’s Orchard market, and of course there is always the traditional and easy-to-love peach cobbler.
Gloria Sands of Boyertown, Berks County offers a well-appreciated peach cobbler recipe that yields 9 to 12 servings.
PrintGloria Sands’ Peach Cobbler
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Peach Parts—5 cups fresh peaches peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping—1 cup flour - 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Put the peach, sugar, lemon juice and ground nutmeg blend into a 9’’ x 13’’ baking dish.
- Mix the topping blend well, and spread on top of peaches. (“The topping is thick, so you have to try and spread it over the top of the peaches with a spatula,” Sands says.)
- Sprinkle it all with 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.