Just got some peaches at Lehman's and they're incredible. They aren't doing u-pick quite yet on peaches, though. Plenty of u-pick sour cherries(which they pit for free!), blueberries and some currants. Call for accurate picking info.

Lehman's Orchards
http://www.lehmansorchard.com/
Phone:(269) 683-9078
Address: 2280 Portage Rd, Niles, MI 49120

Food Nut wrote:Just got some peaches at Lehman's and they're incredible. They aren't doing u-pick quite yet on peaches, though. Plenty of u-pick sour cherries(which they pit for free!), blueberries and some currants. Call for accurate picking info.

Lehman's Orchards
http://www.lehmansorchard.com/
Phone:(269) 683-9078
Address: 2280 Portage Rd, Niles, MI 49120

I got a little excited when I saw Niles. And then I spotted Michigan. So I thought as a PSA I should highlight that Lehman's Orchards is in Michigan, not a neighbor to GNR Fresh Farms. That's about a 2-hour drive and almost 100 miles from Chicago one way. I doubt I will do this, but if anyone else is making a run let me know because I can place an order.

I think they are not as good as last year, but they are still very good. Last year's were smaller, and pointier, which I understand had to do with surviving colder weather. They also didn't have as many boxes last year.

To me these taste different from our local peach varieties. I will be happy to have local peaches too when they come in. I appreciate them all!

I split a box with a couple of others and I'm thrilled that I only have 1/3 of a box because I'm very unimpressed, especially when compared to the quality of past years. The three I've eaten so far (I assume a fair representation) have been bad, plain and simple -- minimal sweetness, little of that wonderful peach flavor. I'll be fulfilling my peach needs at the farmers' markets.

We've really been enjoying our box. I made peach muffins yesterday, which were decent warm, but lovely today with the peach flavor jumping out. Ice cream will be churned tonight. A mix of peach chunks mixed with blueberries topped with Greek yogurt has been my breakfast.

À propos of basically nothing, I want to say something that's driven by sheer amazement. I love peaches, and as this thread shows, it takes some doing to get good ones.

So last Summer my wife and BIL had a stall at a farmer's market in Elizabethtown NY, which is where our B&B is. At just about this time, they showed up here at home with a couple of peaches. Best damn peaches I'd had in years! "What the...?" I exclaimed, "from whence?" Turns out the Lamoy farms stall next to ours had them, and they were imported from --of all places--Rochester NY. A bit of interweb research showed that there's a whole terroir there, a tiny local peach region, complete with growers, farm stands, and PYO operations. We continued to get them for nearly a month, and I gorged myself almost, but not quite, to satiation.

Lamoy told my BIL last Saturday that because of this year's heat, Rochester peaches were expected w/in two weeks!! Lordy, lordy, I can hardly wait!

Geo

Lest I be accused of being a complete negative Ned over here, I will say that the blueberries I bought off of the truck are excellent: early picked, firm, and on the tart side.

But, as stated above, I have found the peaches from this batch to be very meh. Maybe 1 in 8 or 10 has been top quality.

The Poor Peach Problem has me perplexed, puzzled and bewildered.

We have bought a cases each week this season, with no complaints from family or friends who have shared the bounty. After the first week, the size of the peaches has grown and their great taste has continued to elicit favorable comments from all who have enjoyed them.

Why, do you suppose, has our weekly experience run counter to others? We have even bought them from the same truck as LTHers whose comments have are diametrically opposite to ours and to those to whom we have given these softball-sized samples of sweetness.

Our good fortune is definitely not due to clean-living or exemplary conduct. What must we do to continue our run of good fortune for the remainder of the season?

I just had another one. I learned the hard way that they cannot be eaten over the garbage can to catch the juices (the dog was elated). So I sit at the table with my mouth on it and leaned over a plate.

It was cold from the fridge, juicy, sweet, with a bit of acid. They are great. The preserves I made with raspberry and cardamom, in addition to the peaches were as perfect as ever.

Mine were also from the truck in the city and I scooped them from another LTHer.

I have a friend who doesn't like fresh fruit b/c she says it's always a gamble what you will get. At first, I thought this was preposterous, and then I experienced it with some of our bushels of citrus from the same farm in FL as well. It just happens I guess. I consider myself a fruit gambler. So far, I am up!

We also enjoyed ours. They were bigger this year, and we didn't think they were AS good as other years, but definitely not bad!

Hi,

Once I took a road trip to Florida. On they way back, we stopped at a commercial peach orchard. There was a board with many varieties indicating currently available fruit and a long list of varieties with estimates when they are harvested. This list began at May and concluded in September.

The issue could be peach variety. It can be the peach truck's schedule is unrelated to variety, so you get what is available.

Regards,
Cathy2

It is too bad they don't give samples like most farmer's do at the farmer's markets. I personally would not spend $40 on peaches without sampling them first, but I have never spent that much on peaches. That is too much to spend on peaches you are going to make jam with, and I don't have enough freezer space to freeze them.

The Michigan peaches are running late this summer. My Sister is going to start upicking them this weekend, but the really good peaches are going to be available the following weekend. The peaches that she has this weekend are still going to be way better than what you get in the grocery store, but she is not going to start picking red havens until sometime next week. Hope this helps, Nancy

Uh, guys? Don't shoot me, but: We went up to Gurnee this past Saturday and got another box. These peaches are larger than those from a month ago, and ripened much faster. They are also absolutely juicy and delicious. So, you may want to give them another shot when they're in Chicago this week. Just remember that not-shooting thing we talked about earlier.

cilantro wrote:Uh, guys? Don't shoot me, but: We went up to Gurnee this past Saturday and got another box. These peaches are larger than those from a month ago, and ripened much faster. They are also absolutely juicy and delicious. So, you may want to give them another shot when they're in Chicago this week. Just remember that not-shooting thing we talked about earlier.

The return was already on my calendar. Thanks for the intel.

If anyone wants to split a box, I would be happy to do so. I can't take off work again to pick up, or I would. I also would love to return their boxes to them (reuse, recycle, etc) even if no one wants to split, so could drop them off with whoever is going to pick up...

Bought a case in Ft. Atkinson on Monday. Smaller than in some years, about 75 peaches in the case. Price went up to $40 this year. Tasty as always, but not as happy with the way they ripened. Probably should have refrigerated a day earlier. Probably too warm and humid in the house. Truck had pecans, but blueberries won't be on the truck until July.

Based on last year's quality, I'm not jonesing the way I normally would. And maybe the internet spirits have sensed this, as I seem to have fallen off their email list. Nonetheless, I did a check recently and for those who are interested, the truck will be in Niles (9 am), Chicago (noon) and Tinley Park (3:30 pm) this coming Friday, July 12. You can check their website for more details.

=R=

Picked up a case of peaches and a box of blueberries yesterday in Spooner, WI. Peaches are larger than last month, 52 in the box vs. over 70 in late June. Can't comment on them yet as they are ripening in the counter. Blueberries are large and delicious. I made a batch if blueberry turnovers this morning. https://photos.app.goo.gl/L8kbKjhUCeo6Xgbe8

Ms. Ingie wrote:Picked up a case of peaches and a box of blueberries yesterday in Spooner, WI. Peaches are larger than last month, 52 in the box vs. over 70 in late June. Can't comment on them yet as they are ripening in the counter. Blueberries are large and delicious. I made a batch if blueberry turnovers this morning. https://photos.app.goo.gl/L8kbKjhUCeo6Xgbe8

Those turnovers look absolutely delicious!

Thank you. Cheated and used refrigerated puff pastry from Jewel. I was excited to find it as it's dairy-free; I have a dairy allergy.

PreFlopRaise13 wrote:

Ms. Ingie wrote:Picked up a case of peaches and a box of blueberries yesterday in Spooner, WI. Peaches are larger than last month, 52 in the box vs. over 70 in late June. Can't comment on them yet as they are ripening in the counter. Blueberries are large and delicious. I made a batch if blueberry turnovers this morning. https://photos.app.goo.gl/L8kbKjhUCeo6Xgbe8

Those turnovers look absolutely delicious!

I picked some up on Friday and they ripened very quickly this year. They are absolutely delicious and much improved over last year's crop.

botd wrote:I picked some up on Friday and they ripened very quickly this year. They are absolutely delicious and much improved over last year's crop.

We're working through the box we got on Friday as well. Transferred most to the fridge this morning, then stood over the sink eating one that was ready. So good!

I did get a box last week in Niles, and they're almost all gone, but still have blueberries, which may end up in the freezer.
I also bought their peach truck cookbook,
and made peach infused bourbon , and peach vodka, which are "cooking" until July 25.
I have a few more set aside to make peach hot sauce.
There are like 4 left for eating.
Not the best ones I've ever had from them, but the real problem is the others in the house eat them so fast they don't have time to get as ripe as I personally like them.
So there you go. LOL
Debating, but I may pick up another box this Saturday in Gurnee.

irisarbor wrote:I did get a box last week in Niles, and they're almost all gone, but still have blueberries, which may end up in the freezer.
I also bought their peach truck cookbook,
and made peach infused bourbon , and peach vodka, which are "cooking" until July 25.
I have a few more set aside to make peach hot sauce.
There are like 4 left for eating.
Not the best ones I've ever had from them, but the real problem is the others in the house eat them so fast they don't have time to get as ripe as I personally like them.
So there you go. LOL
Debating, but I may pick up another box this Saturday in Gurnee.

I looked at the cookbook. I had just read about the cookbook a couple of weeks ago. How much was it? I already had my check made out, so I didn't get it.

It was $25
it's ok- there are some interesting recipes-
It's not like I REALLY needed another cookbook,
but I have never been happy with my peach jam,
and some of the recipes looked interesting.
I'm anxious to sample the peach infused alcohols...
they were super easy since you don't peel the peaches

ronnie_suburban wrote:Based on last year's quality, I'm not jonesing the way I normally would. And maybe the internet spirits have sensed this, as I seem to have fallen off their email list. Nonetheless, I did a check recently and for those who are interested, the truck will be in Niles (9 am), Chicago (noon) and Tinley Park (3:30 pm) this coming Friday, July 12. You can check their website for more details.

=R=

Are you saying the Peach Trucks stops in Niles now? I think they used to be in Menard's parking lot which is in Morton Grove just east of Niles.

Brushman4 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Based on last year's quality, I'm not jonesing the way I normally would. And maybe the internet spirits have sensed this, as I seem to have fallen off their email list. Nonetheless, I did a check recently and for those who are interested, the truck will be in Niles (9 am), Chicago (noon) and Tinley Park (3:30 pm) this coming Friday, July 12. You can check their website for more details.

=R=

Are you saying the Peach Trucks stops in Niles now? I think they used to be in Menard's parking lot which is in Morton Grove just east of Niles.

My error. It is Morton Grove, just north of Niles, actually.

=R=

Looks like no Chicago or Morton Grove stops this year:

https://www.tree-ripe.com/calendar?view=calendar&month=06-2020

cilantro wrote:Looks like no Chicago or Morton Grove stops this year:

https://www.tree-ripe.com/calendar?view=calendar&month=06-2020

Lots of changes this year. I'm not happy.

They will be stopping in Gurnee on June 27
a little further, but still...