It’s the season we’ve all been awaiting, the one when peaches abound. Thanks to global shipping, peaches are in markets year-round, but there’s nothing better than those plucked from area trees at the height of peach season.
There was a time when Tennessee was a major producer of peaches, even more so than Georgia, according to the late Tom Crawley, who once had peach groves spreading across a large swath of land in North Hamilton County. I remember interviewing him years ago and enjoying listening to his tales of a time when Tennessee could easily have been called the Peach State alongside the Volunteer State. And though there are still peach farms in Tennessee, it’s nothing like it was.
Still, if you visit Chattanooga Market on any given Sunday for the next few weeks, the blush of sweet, tree-ripened peaches will paint the pavilion with the color of summer.
(READ MORE: How Chattanooga Market became the premier social spectacle of the season)
So where will your love of peaches take you? It’s hard not to enjoy one, skin and all, as soon as you get it home, taking that first bite and waiting for the sweet juice to drip down your chin. Once that memorable taste takes you back to your childhood, it’s time to consider your options. Peach cobbler, peach salsa, a lovely fruit salad — the uses of the stone fruit abound. Also, peach muffins make a lovely way to wake up to the fresh taste of summer peaches in the morning.