By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
They’re plump and juicy and ready to be picked at Battleview Orchards — peaches.
Most people probably don’t think New Jersey and peaches.
“They don’t. It’s actually our main summer crop. We grow yellow, whites, nectarines,” said Scott Applegate.
More than 30 different varieties dangle from the trees on the Freehold farm. Fourth generation grower Scott Applegate began harvesting the peaches in early July. The long, cold winter resulted in a late bloom. This season the fruit’s a week to 10 days late.
“Our season this year will definitely go probably close to the third week of September,” Scott said.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service indicates New Jersey peach utilized production is estimated at 21,000 tons, up 17 percent from 2013, totaling $27.9 million. New Jersey ranks fourth in the nation in peach production. Acres of the orchards are open to customers eager to pick-their-own at Battleview, like New Yorker Elaine Stalb. She’s filled basket after basket for decades.
“It’s such a fun thing. It’s so different than life in Brooklyn,” she said.
“Our soil, our climate, our location is really good for peaches. That’s why we grow a good peach,” Scott said.
Peaches like sunny, dry, conditions says Scott.
“We don’t like a real rainy summer. Believe it or not, they do need water for size but the best peach year with your high sugar is a dry year. We’re pretty much having a dry July here in Central Jersey,” Scott said.
Scott and his son Kyle work in the orchards year-round. In June, after the bloom,they start hand-thinning the trees.
“Using wiffle ball bat to knock off some of the fruit because a peach tree produces a lot more fruit then it can handle and you want good size and quality, you want to knock off at least 50 percent of crops,” Scott said.
Battleview Orchards typically harvests anywhere from 6,000 to 7,000 bushels of peaches a year. Staffers spot pick for their store here. They don’t take everything off the tree at once. They look for color, size and maturity they’ll continue to pick from these same trees three to four times this season.
They’re picky about their picking.
“When you’re picking for the store, to be sold in store, they have to be stored for a bit longer so we have to pick firmer then if you were out here picking to eat them,” Kyle said.
The store’s filled with the aroma of sweet peaches. It’s in warm pound cake, trifles and muffins. The fruit’s loaded into bins, waiting for someone to take a bite. Back in the orchards, Elaine’s got a basketful.
“You get to taste just absolutely delicious fruit. I mean nothing sweeter than right off the tree,” she said.