Indian Free Peach Harvest: One for Each Hand
In a month where plump pumpkins take center stage, green tomatoes consume counter space faster than we consume them, and wet leaves hitch a ride on unsuspecting soles, I awaited the finale of one of summer’s finest players, my Indian Free peach tree.
Between spring rains, high winds, lowly squirrels, unfailing gravity and deer that were anything but, only two peaches remained to bless the tree. Not wishing to tempt fate, or ignore the skills of said squirrels, I proudly picked the peaches and rushed to the kitchen before the deer got wind.
I let the peaches ripen under a light cloth for a few days, as Indian Free peaches while delectable ripe, will turn your mouth inside out if not. It’s a pucker worthy of the lime.
Days later, they did not disappoint, and were a fitting farewell to a summer favorite with its foothold in fall.
Last year the Indian Free peaches were unusually crimson, but just as sweet when left to ripen on their own time.
10 responses so far ↓
1 noble pig // Oct 18, 2009 at 2:45 am
Those are beautifully colored.
2 Steve // Oct 19, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Tom:
Those look like the Indian Free and not the Indian Blood this year. Could you tell, was the taste any different this year?
Steve
3 tom | tall clover farm // Oct 19, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Steve the taste as a little tarter, that is, sweet but with a little sharper aftertaste like the kind of tartness of a raspberry or blackberry that’s a day or two from ripeness. I may have picked these a bit early but I had too as the squirrels had discovered them.
4 Kitchen Butterfly // Oct 20, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Perfect…love the white blush – talk about Community supported agriculture!
5 Patty Gironda // Sep 14, 2010 at 2:35 am
I have this peach. It has been two years that I have been trying to identify the variety. It was given to me by a man who went to the woods and uprooted it for me. I’ve had it, now, for fifteen years.
It has a taste of raspberry and is sweet. I was told recently that it was a Cherokee Peach. I have heard it called an Indian Blood Cling.
Mine looks more like the top picture on the pretty plate.
6 Tom // Sep 14, 2010 at 4:11 am
Patty I have a couple friends from France who say that type of peach is called a vineyard peach or Vigne de Peche (oo-la-la is optional).
When I searched for that on google images, it returned peaches very much like you and I have. Peaches unlike most fruits have seeds that are true to the parent. So if you want more, save the seeds and plant them. Patty Peachseed has a real ring to it.
7 Peach Tree Report 2010: Neither Peachy, Nor Keen // Oct 13, 2010 at 12:45 pm
[...] One year ago: Two Peaches Are Better Than One [...]
8 Bare Root Fruit – 2011 « Curbstone Valley // Feb 2, 2011 at 3:35 pm
[...] out this variety to us. Ever since reading his posts about ‘Indian Free’ here and here, we’ve had a slight touch of peach envy. ‘Indian Free’ is a freestone white [...]
9 John Hanna // Jun 28, 2011 at 10:22 pm
The color of your peach is awesome! Let me know if you would be willing to sell or trade some of the peach pits.
10 Tom // Jun 29, 2011 at 6:55 am
No problem John, will do, but I am fearful our heavy spring rains put a dent on the pollination. The trees are very sparsely fruited. I’ll try to beat the squirrels for the fruit and the pits.
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