It’s the last day of National Peach Month, and we’ve got some fun facts about peaches for you!
Click here to download the PDF version of 5 facts about peaches.
It’s the last day of National Peach Month, and we’ve got some fun facts about peaches for you!
Click here to download the PDF version of 5 facts about peaches.
We love homemade ice cream! We actually love it so much that we occasionally make it at the HMC Farms office. Something about homemade vanilla ice cream on a hot day just makes everything better, but we like to elevate our ice cream just a bit with the topping we can’t live without: caramelized peaches.
This recipe is enough for about 14-16 bowls of ice cream.
What you’ll need:
Start by slicing or chopping your HMC Farms peaches, discarding the pits. Place the peaches in a bowl and mix in the fresh lemon juice, sea salt, and cinnamon.
Melt the butter and brown sugar in a skillet on medium heat. Once the butter has melted and combined with the sugar, add the peaches and increase to medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
When the juice from the peaches, butter, and sugar have reduced into a thicker consistency, remove the pan from heat and let it stand a little before serving.
Tips:
Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to split this into 2 different batches, the peaches should not be more than 2 pieces deep when putting them in the pan to cook.
Warm peaches are delicious, but if they are too hot they will melt the ice cream rapidly. Let the peaches stand a bit to cool before using them as topping for your ice cream.
Peaches straight from the pan are hot! When taste testing, let the peaches cool slightly to avoid burning your mouth.
If ice cream isn’t your thing, caramelized peaches can also be added to yogurt.
Drew and Alex from our HMC Farms grape team recently took a trip to Murcia, Spain, to visit the Sheehan Genetics grape breeding facility. The trip enabled Drew and Alex to explore the new varieties in development at Sheehan, some of which will soon arrive to the United States to be planted. We continuously search for new varieties with the best flavor and eating quality, which also fit into certain time frames during our grape harvest season. The trip was very informative, and we are excited for what the future will bring!
Crop Update:
Harvest remains ongoing for HMC Farms peaches, plums, nectarines, and table grapes. Krissy and Scarlet Royal red seedless table grapes are in harvest, with Timco harvesting soon. Ivory green seedless table grapes are in harvest, with Great Green harvesting soon. The forecast shows peak temperatures mostly in the high 90s, with overnight lows in the mid 60s.
Hot summer days call for frozen treats. HMC Farms peaches are in the peak of harvest in California’s Central Valley, so we try to include them in everything possible from baked goods to smoothies. One of our new favorite ways to use peaches is in peach smoothie pops, made with simple ingredients. These can be made using popsicle molds or popsicle bags.
What you’ll need for 8 pops:
3 steps to homemade peach smoothie pops:
Scarlet Royal grapes are now in harvest. This mid-season red seedless table grape is oval in shape, with a sweet flavor and firm texture. Contact your HMC Farms salesperson for more information on pack styles and availability.
Crop Update:
Harvest remains ongoing for HMC Farms peaches, plums, nectarines, and table grapes. We’ve got about a month and a half left of stone fruit harvest, with grapes in harvest until Christmas. The red seedless table grape varieties currently in harvest are Krissy and Scarlet Royal. The green seedless table grape varieties currently in harvest are Ivory and Great Green. The forecast shows more highs above 100° to finish this week and begin the next. At this point, we’ve had 11 days of highs reaching 100° or hotter this month.
There’s something wonderful about combining sweet and spicy foods. We love peach salsa because it is not only fantastic on chips, but as a topping for chicken, fish, and a number of other dishes. Our recipe for peach salsa can be made with HMC Farms yellow or white peaches, depending on your personal preference. This recipe is also great made with HMC Farms nectarines in place of peaches.
What you’ll need for 4 cups of salsa:
Steps to peachy salsa goodness:
Show us your salsa! Tag HMC Farms in your peach salsa photos on Instagram (@hmcfarms) and Facebook (@HMCfarmsKingsburg).
HMC Farms has a strong relationship with the California Association of Food Banks and the Farm to Family program. Each year, we donate hundreds of thousands of pounds of fruit to help feed hungry families in our state. In 2018, HMC Farms donated more than 500,000 pounds of fruit to the Farm to Family program.
Crop Update:
Harvest remains ongoing for HMC Farms peaches, plums, nectarines, Flame red seedless table grapes and Ivory green seedless table grapes. Krissy red seedless table grapes are now in harvest as well. Our peach and nectarine harvest season is about 2/3 complete at this point. The forecast shows highs of 105° or higher for the next few days before dropping into the mid to high 90s.
Peaches make a great addition to baked goods from breakfast to dessert. One of our go-to breakfast recipes at HMC Farms is for peach oat muffins. These muffins are a great way to incorporate HMC Farms peaches into your breakfast, and they’re easy to make. This recipe makes about 10 muffins, so you won’t have to recruit a soccer team to help you eat them. You may have watched Lori Taylor from The Produce Moms demonstrate our recipe on the Indy Style morning show. If not, you can watch the segment here.
What you’ll need:
Steps to homemade muffin deliciousness:
Ivory green seedless table grapes are now being harvested! This marks the beginning of our green table grape season at HMC Farms. Ivory grapes boast large berries with crisp texture and a sweet flavor.
Crop Update:
Harvest remains ongoing for HMC Farms peaches, plums, nectarines, and Flame red seedless table grapes. The weather in the coming days should include a bit of relief from the persistent heat, with peak temperatures in the mid to low 90s for most of the forecast. Overnight lows are settling back in the target range for fruit color and sugar development in our orchards and vineyards.
The women’s group at HMC Farms, which we refer to as the Ladies of HMC, blends activities from professional development to teambuilding and community service events. One such service event was at Terry’s House in Fresno. Terry’s House, named in honor of Terry Richards, is across the street from Community Regional Medical Center in Downtown Fresno. It is a place where family members of patients in critical care units at Community Regional Medical Center can sleep, eat, and find a peaceful moment during a difficult time. The facilities at Terry’s House include 20 private guest rooms with private bathrooms, a laundry facility, computer center, shared kitchen and dining area, and more. For families traveling from outside the Fresno area, and often having to stay for an extended period of time, Terry’s House is a much needed resource.
With several service and donation options available, the Ladies of HMC took action in two areas: care packages and meal service. The group made care packages with toiletries and everyday supplies donated by HMC Farms, these packages included items like toothbrushes and deodorant – things that people staying at Terry’s House might need when unexpectedly away from home – as well as community items like coffee and creamer. After the care packages were made, it was time for meal service. Women from across different departments at HMC Farms joined forces to participate in meal-prep at our main office, and eleven of those women drove to Fresno to cook and serve meals to residents of Terry’s House from its well-equipped kitchen. In addition to serving the meal, there was an opportunity to talk to several families in the middle of stays at the facility. They shared their stories with our group, and were very gracious for both the meal that was served to them and Terry’s House for being a ray of sunshine in the storm. The service event was fun and rewarding, and we look forward to volunteering at Terry’s House again in the future!
Terry’s House is funded solely through donations. If you are interested in more information about how to donate to or volunteer at Terry’s House, visit their section of the Community Medical Centers website here: https://www.communitymedical.org/Make-a-Donation/Where-to-Donate/Terry-s-House/
Terry’s House can also be contacted by email or phone:
foundation@communitymedical.org
(559) 724-4343