Everything’s peachy in the Hill Country
The long, cold winter and dry spring make for exceptional flavor
Baskets of fresh peaches are ready for buyers at a stand run by Russ and Lori Studebaker near Fredericksburg. Weather conditions made for an exceptional harvest.
SAN ANTONIO — Peach lovers rejoice: the Hill Country is having one of the best harvests in years. It was a long, cold winter — at least in Texas terms — and that’s good news for this year’s Hill Country harvest.
Unlike last year, the orchards got the “chill hours” necessary to nudge buds out of dormancy so they can blossom into Texas’ prized summer tree fruit. The spring came and went without the type of lingering late freeze that wiped out the region’s crop five years ago. What’s more, the relatively dry weather meant natural sugars weren’t diluted by rain, making this year’s fruit exceptionally flavorful.
“We’re really happy with the crop — it’s really nice, really tasty,” said grower Russ Studebaker. “Everybody’s got plenty of peaches.”
Hill Country peaches are prized thanks to the region’s soils, said to be rich with mineral deposits from when the region was blanketed by an ancient sea.
Along with an exploding winery business and Fredericksburg’s famed cluster of German restaurants and brew pubs, peaches and peach products (including ice cream, jams and pies) as well as berries and other fruits are a major driver of tourism. The Stonewall Peach JAMboree, this year June 15-16, features arts and crafts, a parade and a competition for the best peach-based baked goods, preserves and salsas.