Red Haven peaches are one of the most well known and sought after peach varieties.
Find out where you can find them for sale near you with our state by state list and orchard recommendations. Know when your favorite peach is ready!
To a lot of people a peach is just a peach.
They buy them at the store, hopefully not out of a can or plastic container.
Not as much thought goes into it as say picking an apple that is sold in the store by which variety it is. Some people doesn't even realize their are varieties of peaches.
A few slightly more advanced people in that crowd may think of peaches by region (California and Georgia being the two top on people's minds). Or they may have had a white peach, or even a donut peach.
However what most grocery stores don't teach us, is that peaches come in many varieties. Head to the farmers market during peach season, and you are likely to see someone listening their peaches by name of the variety.
The peach that has gotten the most buzz of any other peach is certainly the Red Haven. It is extremely popular at farmers market, farm stands, and peach orchards.
It is the only peach I know of that people look for by name (except for me but I am a HUGE peach nerd).
What I want to do it to help direct people in their search for the Red Haven.
Jump to:
📅 Availability
We may see peaches in the grocery stores from many months. That is because growers have many different varieties of peaches that ripen at all different times, so that they have a continual supply. Each variety is only available for a very short period of time.
Have you ever have gone to the store, got some peaches, loved them, and came by the next week looking for more, but ended up disappointed, it's likely that you bought 2 different varieties.
A 2 week window is about all your going to have. So if you want to score some Red Havens, you to know when to be looking.
Now you may say that you have seen these peaches for a lot longer than 2 weeks in the past. I know for a fact that orchards and farm stands "extend the harvest" of Red Haven peaches by calling other peach varieties that aren't Red Havens, Red Havens.
To most people can't distinguish peach varieties from each other, especially if they are anything remotely close in appearance. An excellent article on Growing Produce discusses that subject.
📜 History
Where did this Red Haven peach come from? The Red Haven peach originated in South Haven, Michigan in 1930. There is actually a historical marker in South Haven that speaks of the history of the peach. Here is what it reads on the actual historical marker:
The Haven peach varieties were developed here by Michigan State University's South Haven Experiment Station, under the direction of Professor Stanley Johnston. From 1924 to 1963, eight yellow-fleshed freestone varieties were selected from more than twenty-one thousand cross-bred seedlings. They were named Halehaven, Kalhaven, Redhaven, Fairhaven, Sunhaven, Richhaven, Glohaven and Cresthaven. Redhaven was the first red-skinned commercial peach variety. It is now the most widely planted freestone peach variety in the world. Haven peaches have provided an orderly supply of high quality peaches extending over a seven-week period. Prior to the development of Haven peaches, harvests had been restricted to a three-week period.
michmarkers.com
📋 List by State
I researched many different Red Haven peach growers in different states - finding out when their crop was going to be in season.
Now depending on the weather, the season can change. For example in 2012 Red Havens in Berrien County, Michigan were ready to go on July 23rd (that was a really hot year). In 2013 the date was August 2nd. So any dates are a general guideline. Always begin peaking right before they should start in your area.
If your region is not on this list (I plan to add more in time), leave a comment below with your email and I will find out for you 🙂
| Southwest Michigan | August 3rd |
| Northwest Michigan | August 9th |
| Western Montana | August 20th |
| Northern Ohio | August 3rd |
| Central Ohio | late July |
| Southern Illinois | mid July |
| Eastern Nebraska | late July |
| Northern Utah | early August |
| Central Washington | August 4th |
| Northwest Oregon | end of July |
| Oklahoma | mid July |
| South Carolina | around July 4th |
👩🍳 Make this with Red Haven peaches --> Peach Ginger Sour Cream Muffins
🌳 Latest to Ripen
The very latest ripening Red Havens I have come across are in Montana. Forbidden Fruit Orchards in Paradise, Montana harvested their Red Haven peaches around the 20th of August.
Their warm days and cool nights are a great recipe for high quality peaches. A great excuse to enjoy the beauty and big skies of Montana!
🚜 Places to Pick
Here is a list of some places you can pick your very own Red Haven peaches.
- Illinois - Eckert's
- Michigan - Kapnick Orchards
- Michigan - Fruit Acres Farm
- Nebraska - Kimmel Orchards
- Ohio - Branstool Orchards
- Washington - Stutzman Ranch
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🍑 More Peaches Posts
Here is some additional blogs posts you'll want to check out
Cindy
Red Haven peaches available in Hayward Wisconsin 54843. About 80 miles south of Duluth Mn.
Tammy Witheril
Hi! Looking for Red Haven peaches in Whitefish or Kalispell MT. Love your info by the way. It's a joy to see your stuff in my in box.
Thanks,
Tammy
Eric Samuelson
Cindy, thanks for sharing that piece of info! Do you know the name of the orchard?
Eric Samuelson
First thanks for your kind words. I appreciate your support!
I will see if I can find any Red Havens in that area and get back to you.
Eric Samuelson
Tammy, The closet option I could find to you is Forbidden Fruit Orchards in Paradise, Montana (http://www.forbiddenfruitorchard.com/)
Rosalee
I have a red Haven and my peaches are more the color of a pear or apple they aren't orange, at harvest they seem too soft to can but I did anyway.
Eric Samuelson
Do you have any pictures of them?
dorothy amerson
does the peach redHaven have red flesh inside ? We used to have a peach supposedly from Michigan which had red flesh inside and was called an indian peach, is this the same peach just altered some. Yhey were a blood red peach inside and were used a lot for pickling. very delicious.
Eric Samuelson
Very good question. The Indian Blood Peach and the Red Haven are completely different variety. The Red Haven is not red on the inside really. I have heard of the Indian Blood Peach but I have never been able to track one down close enough to me. I really do want to try them.
dianne hovey
8/28/18
Western New York
When do Red Havens ripen in my location? I am in the western-most county of NYS and we get fruit from the lake plain from Erie Pa to Lockport NY
I bought some peaches today at a fruit stand and was told they were "early: Red Havens
SAM
Hi,
When do Red Havens ripen in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this year?
Thanks!
Eric Samuelson
Red Haven peaches ripen in Oklahoma usually around the mid of July in a typical year. I don't know the exact timing for this year, it really is weather depended. Colder temperatures would slow ripening and hotter temperature would hasten it.
Dennis
When do Redhaven ripen in South Carolina?
Eric Samuelson
Around the 4th of July.
Pat
I live in southern New Mexico and my first year tree is covered with peaches that appear ripe but are hard. Should I leave them on the tree until they are soft or are they ripe?
Eric Samuelson
You can pick the peaches when they look fully ripe and then let them soften off the tree. Often people don't want them to to be soft enough to eat on the tree because then they won't last long off it.