They’re back. Colorado’s Palisade peaches are a beloved Colorado treat grown around Palisade, a small town on the state’s Western Slope. The golden pink fruit is renowned for its sweet juice and melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture.
The story of the Palisade peach began on Dec. 2, 1881, when John Petal Harlow and his wife, Kate, arrived in Grand Junction from Gunnison. The area had just been opened to white settlers after members of the Ute Nation were forcibly removed from their traditional lands in western Colorado to the Uintah Reservation in Utah.
Harlow acquired land in Grand Junction and 12 miles as the crow flies outside of town, along Rapid Creek, a stream and tributary within the larger Colorado River Basin. In 1894, the area became the town of Palisade, named for the stiff cliffs that border the Grand Valley.
Harlow was born in Canada in 1830 and came to Colorado by way of New York, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Utah. Throughout his life, he wore many hats, working as a lawyer, teacher, coal miner, mining superintendent, railroad clerk, restaurateur, hotelier, a U.S. postmaster, a deputy U.S. marshal, justice of the peace, road overseer, and realtor, in addition to becoming a successful farmer.
Shortly after arriving, Harlow built a home on the corner of Fifth Street and Colorado Avenue in Grand Junction, and Kate opened a café in their dining room. Harlow grew vegetables for what became known as Harlow’s Restaurant, which the couple later moved to Main Street and expanded to include a hotel and ice cream parlor.
Harlow’s early efforts to cultivate fruit trees failed due to a lack of irrigation. He dug canals from the Colorado River and made fertilizer from bone char and leached wood ash to add phosphorus, calcium, and potassium to the already mineral-rich alluvial soil.
In 1887, Harlow’s peaches won blue ribbons at the Colorado State Fair, and two years later, he took first place at the Chicago World’s Fair.
Within 10 years, Harlow established 2,000 peach trees, 200 apple trees, dozens of apricot, plum, and pear trees, and more than 500 grape vines on his farm, which was soon known as Peachvale. Other farmers followed Harlow’s lead, and the Grand Valley became an important agricultural center for the state.
From Mount Garfield to the south end of the East Orchard Mesa, the region’s microclimate of warm days, cool nights, low humidity, high elevation, plenty of sunshine – a 182-day growing season – and warm katabatic winds provides the perfect conditions for fruit trees to thrive. Most of Mesa County’s 2,020 acres of peach groves were established east of Mount Garfield because of the katabatic winds – known by the area ranchers as “million dollar winds” – which flow downhill from the De Beque Canyon and add a layer of frost protection in the early spring.
Although irrigation made peach farming in the area possible, many of the orchards floundered in the early twentieth century because of pests and difficulties getting the fruit to markets before it was spoiled. A confluence of factors – pesticides, advances in agriculture science, refrigeration, and a national highway and trucking system – improved yields, protected the peaches during shipping, and expedited the farm-to-table process, allowing farmers to earn a living from their labors.
Today, ranches in the Palisade region produce more than 12,000 tons of the legendary fruit annually – three-quarters of the state’s total peach crop – and generate $50 to $60 million for Colorado’s economy.
Types of peaches – freestone and clingstone
There are two kinds of peaches, freestone and clingstone or clings. Palisade peaches come in both varieties.
Cling peaches are typically an earlier and smaller variety. Their flesh adheres to the pit, making them great for canning, making jams and preserves, pureeing, and in recipes where the fruit needs to hold its shape when cooked. Usually, store-bought canned peaches are clingstones.
Freestone peaches are typically larger, sweeter, juicier, and softer than clingstones. Their flesh separates easily from the pit, making them ideal for eating fresh, baking, and grilling.
Four wonderful Palisade peach recipes
While nothing quite beats biting into a ripe Palisade peach at its peak, there are some excellent ways to enjoy the ripe fruit in recipes.
Palisade Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe Palisade peaches, diced
- 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced (use multicolored heirloom tomatoes)
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Combine the diced peaches, tomatoes, and onion, chopped cilantro, lime zest and juice, jalapeño, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Chill for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or grilled chicken or fish.
Palisade Peach and Burrata Salad with Strawberry Compote
While this recipe has many ingredients, it is easy and comes together quickly. Make the strawberry compote, mix the vinaigrette dressing, toss the salad, plate, and serve.
Strawberry Compote – Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until strawberries are soft and begin to become saucy, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Chill 30 to 60 minutes.
Vinaigrette dressing – Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ shallot, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon, zested
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Coarse salt and black pepper
Instructions
Place ingredients in a salad dressing cruet and shake until smooth, or mix with an immersion blender in a tall glass jar.
Salad – Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 to 3 ripe Palisade peaches, diced
- 8 ounces of fresh burrata cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup toasted pepita seeds
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the tomatoes and peaches with the vinaigrette. Let the mixture marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 hours so flavors meld. When ready to serve, spread the salad on a presentation platter. Place the burrata balls around the salad mixture, top with pumpkin seeds, and drizzle the strawberry compote over the salad. Serve with buttered and toasted French bread.
Grilled Palisade Peaches
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe Palisade peaches, cut in half with pit removed
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions
Lightly brush the cut sides of the peach halves with olive oil to prevent sticking and promote even cooking. Preheat the grill pan to 350 degrees. Place the peach halves flesh-side down on the grill pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until grill marks appear. Flip the peaches and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve alongside grilled pork chops or chicken, or on top of fresh vanilla ice cream.
Palisade Peach Cobbler
This recipe is older than your grandmother and so simple your teenage grandkids could make it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bisquick mix
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 5 to 6 ripe Palisade peaches, sliced
- 1 cup sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together Bisquick, milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon in an ungreased 8×8-inch baking dish until the batter is smooth. Stir in melted butter. Stir together the peaches and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Spoon the peach mixture over the batter. Bake until golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve with fresh vanilla ice cream.