In Grand Junction, summer and fall are prime produce seasons. The juicy, sweet, and flavorful produce that thrives in orchards along the Colorado River creates fruits and vegetables with much more flavor due to higher sugar content caused by the unique climate, geography and weather. Mouthwatering fruits like grapes, plums, cherries and apricots are bountiful, but none is more famous than the Palisade Peach. These giant and succulent peaches are all the rage at Farmers Markets all across Colorado, but there is no better place to enjoy one than just a few feet away from the tree it grew on. Here are some of the tastiest ways to enjoy a Palisade Peach this season, from picking one yourself to refreshing cocktails. Prepare your taste buds and pack a napkin.
Pick Your Own Peaches
When it comes to getting the freshest peaches possible, there is no substitute for picking them off the tree yourself. Many Palisade orchards offer pick your own peaches tours. Stroll through the beautiful orchards where the lush trees are decorated with large orange orbs. Fill your basket with nothing short of the perfect peaches. Visit Just Peachy Orchards, Green Barn Fruit Company, Fruit Basket Orchards, or Green Acres for a you-pick experience!
Enjoy a Peach-za!
With peaches this delicious, it's no surprise that they make their way into breakfast, lunch and dinner. And what food group works perfectly with all of those as well? Pizza! Both Pablo’s Pizza and Hot Tomato Pizza highlight this delectable fruit on their seasonal pies. Locals flock to their storefronts as soon as the specialty pizzas hit the menu, and visitors plan their getaways to Grand Junction around them too. No joke, you must try these creations which include a variety of ingredients including gorgonzola, pork belly, cream cheese jalapenos, and pulled pork. The peach pies are only available from the beginning of August until the end of peach season in September. Go get yours!
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For something sweeter, Sweet Kiwi Bakery offers mouthwatering peach-inspired desserts that are as beautiful looking as they are delicious. Dive into a Palisade Peach butterbeer cupcake, or a made from scratch Palisade Peach coffee cake. No matter what you choose, your taste buds will be dancing in delight.
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Sip on a Peach Inspired Drink
Home to 28 wineries, six breweries, and two distilleries, the Grand Junction area certainly knows how to make a good drink. During peach season, all that creativity and talent results in peach-infused libations. Palisade Brewing Company whips up a batch of their seasonal Bushes of Haze peach beer. Light and golden in color, this beer is a perfect complement to one of their bistro burgers.
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Of course, Peach Street Distillers lives up to their name when it comes to peachy cocktails. Stop in their tasting room in downtown Palisade and try a peach margarita made with Peach Street's tequila, distilled in-house. Highland Distillery also mixes up their drink menu with seasonal Peach Orchard Punch made from their delicately crafted vodka and garnished with a peach slice.
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Wine lovers fret not, Carlson Vineyards has you covered! Every year, they produce their specialty peach wine. Visit the winery in Palisade or drop by Carlson's new tasting room in Downtown Grand Junction, but be prepared to leave with a bottle or two.
Visit Grand Junction and see for yourself why so many locals love peach season. But hurry, all these flavorful masterpieces disappear when the peaches do!
Have you ever wanted to tour a peach orchard with your very own alpaca? See how on page 18 of the Grand Junction Visitor Guide.
