Spring Flame Peaches & A Word About Peach Breeding

The stone fruit season is really kicking into gear now. This year I have already tasted a number of different varieties of peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums. The one variety that stands out to me so far among all the others is the Spring Flame peach. This large sized peach has been a big hit at the grocery store where I work.

Before I get into the details about the peach itself I wanted to do a little lesson on peach breeding. Peaches often come in a series. Spring Flame belongs to the "Flame Series" developed by Burchell Nursery out of Oakdale, California. There is actually multiple Spring Flame peaches such Spring Flame 18, Spring Flame 21 and Spring Flame 22. Other members of the Flame Series includes June Flame, July Flame 24, August Flame, and Summer Flame 34. Peach growers want to have a long harvest season. A peach tree's only produces fruit for a short period. So you have to have multiple varieties that ripen in succession. That's where the idea of a series comes in. A breeder will work to develop varieties that are similar and ripen in succession. Growers don't always grow each variety in a series. They may pick the ones they like and grow peaches from multiple series.

The first Spring Flame peach I had was Spring Flame 22. It usually is ripe in California in late May to early June and in more northern states like New Jersey in early July. It is a clingstone peach, so removing all the flesh from the pit will be difficult. The peach is really large for being so early in the season. The skin is beautiful scarlet red color pretty much throughout. The peach is round in shape.

My Experience with this Peach (Rating Scale 1-10)
Acidity: 7
Peach Flavor: 10
Sweetness: 8
Juiciness: 10

Overall Feeling: Without a doubt one of the best peach eating experiences I have ever had. This peach has it all. It's juicy, sweet with some tang, and the flavor is outstanding. It would be hard to top this variety. If you can find it or are looking to plant your own peach trees, you definitely want to try it. The large size would make it an excellent choice for canning and cooking with. It's easier to prepare a couple large peaches than 1o small ones.

I included for your viewing pleasure a video of some Spring Flame peaches as they are being packed and ready for shipment.

Where is the best place to buy a good peach? Click here to read my article on shopping for peaches.