Yesterday, August 27, was National Peach Day. A day designed to celebrate one of the world’s most favored fruits, it goes without saying that the peach packs a pretty prolific past and a presently persisting legacy that continues today.
The peach’s presence is now practically universal, the world over. It is especially popular throughout North America. As for those of us hailing from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, we can all rightfully attest to our personal preference for this savory stone fruit of honor. In fact, every Mid-Atlantic state has at least one unique callout to peach prominence throughout history. From historic orchards and time-tested recipes to even exclusively bred varieties, for this Flashback Friday Feature, I’ll highlight the peachy keen prominence of a Mid-Atlantic fruit favorite.
The Peach’s Past
The earliest known origins of the peach can be traced back to Central Asia, more specifically in the region that now comprises China. These ancestral precursor peaches date back at least 4,000 years and were not the sweet, delicious fruits they’ve since been cultivated as. Early peaches were highly expensive commodities and were even traded throughout Asia and beyond, along the legendary Silk Road.
Peach cultivation eventually found its way into Europe. This was in direct response to and in correlation with expanding travel and navigating trade routes that opened the doors to global communications and expanded world connectivity more than ever before.
As more settlers arrived in the New World, so did peach cultivation. While Spanish explorers and missionaries are directly credited with peach planting practices throughout greater Florida and the Southwest regions, those settlers who arrived in what were the original 13 colonies are largely recognized for cultivating the fruit along the Eastern corridor of the United States. In short, the pits were planted wherever said settlers arrived and made their homes. By the 17th century, peaches were part of the profuse makeup of the new nation at hand.
Delaware’s Delicious Peach Presence
Move over Georgia, because the small but mighty state of Delaware once had its own claim to fame as the “Peach State” as well! Delaware orchards took off on a thriving note during the first half of the 1800s, peaking sometime around 1832. In no time at all, Delaware established itself as a major peach-producing state throughout the nation, with visitors far and wide coming here for peaches and other agricultural marvels, grown on Eastern Shore soil. Transporting the goods also grew big during this time, along with the cash crop, which was, of course, the pleasing peach.
Sadly, Delaware’s peach prominence was short-lived. As a direct result of crop disease and devastation, many of the state’s peach orchards were largely reduced by the dawn of the early 20th century.
The peach blossom was made the official State Flower of Delaware on May 9, 1895, to symbolize the state’s significant agricultural heritage related to peach farming. Much more recently, in 2009, Peach Pie earned a reputation as Delaware’s formal State Dessert.
Maryland’s Mouthwatering Peach Contributions
Although arguably not as storied as Delaware’s peachy past, Maryland boasts its own prevalence for the famed fruit. The facts, however, admittedly go hand-in-hand with Maryland’s agrarian attributes in general. And for noted history buffs, you already know Maryland is a major farm-filled state.
Maryland’s first peach orchards trace back to the 17th century, right around the time that European settlers arrived here. That being said, through the years, there have been several established orchards producing vast variations of the crop. Two of the state’s most reliable varieties are the Elberta and Redhaven, which are known to be hardier, more substantial, and disease-resistant.
Peach products have long been incorporated into the farm-like framework. Berlin, on the Eastern Shore, has always been the unofficial peach king of the state. But areas of Baltimore and even north of Baltimore are notable for peach production as well. On that note, some historic recipes related to Maryland peaches remain time-tested favorites. Two examples that appeared in publication as early as the 19th century include the highly hailed Baltimore Peach Cake and Elizabeth Ellicott Lea’s Peach Marmalade. Of course, there have been many others too. As of 2017, Maryland boasts a bounty of more than 830 acres devoted to peach cultivation.
Pennsylvania Peachiness
Pennsylvania’s peachy backstory echoes that of Maryland’s historically, in regard to settlers coming to cultivate the crop. Overall, the state ranks fourth-largest nationally in producing the featured fruit. From shipping out to selling locally, Pennsylvania alone grows roughly 60 million pounds of the good stuff annually.
Franklin and Adams Counties remain big in the peach-growing game, with Franklin ranking second to Adams. For over a century, the Chambersburg peach in particular has reigned supreme, drawing in locals and visitors far and wide. Even those as far as Ohio and Indiana have been known to come out in pursuit of Chambersburg peaches. There’s just something special about Cumberland Valley soil, as evidenced by its abundant apple crop as well.
Virginia’s Versatile Peaches
The earliest evidence of peaches being planted in Virginia occurred circa 1629 in Jamestown. It’s also well documented that Thomas Jefferson, renowned for his interest in plants, grew a versatile range of produce directly on the grounds (and in his orangery) at Monticello. As for peaches in particular, Jefferson was known to have grown well over 38 different varieties.
Other locations across Virginia became home to the early peach-planting scene too. Some varieties became uniquely exclusive to the state. Richmond specifically laid claim to being the birthplace of Millhiser and Lyons peaches in the mid-to-late 1800s.
In echoing a fate similar to Delaware’s, these varieties and others were largely decimated by disease by the early 20th century. The last ones disappeared in the 1930s.
While peach prosperity is past its prime, the peach scene remains profuse and popular throughout most of the Mid-Atlantic. And truth be told, we are home to some of the juiciest offerings in comparison to other places in the country and, by extension, the world over.