Peach season has officially arrived, and I can tell because everything I own is sticky. My arms, my overalls, the steering wheel of the truck, even my phone — if it’s in my orbit this time of year, it’s wearing peach juice.

That’s the thing about peaches. They don’t wait politely for your schedule to clear. They ripen in a hot blur, all at once, and you’d better be ready to pick fast. Around here, that means early mornings in the orchard while it’s still cool, gently twisting each one off the branch and laying it in the basket like it’s a baby bird.

This is also the time of year where you find out if you thinned hard enough back in the spring. Didn’t thin aggressively enough? You’ll know — because your trees will be leaning under the weight of all that fruit. We’re seeing some heavy branches out there, and sometimes the only thing to do is grab a few sturdy sticks, trim them to size, and prop up those limbs before they split. Nothing fancy. Just a good ol’ “stick under branch” technique that’s been saving orchards since forever.

If you’ve got peach trees at home:

Don’t be afraid to pick them a smidge early and let them ripen indoors to avoid bird damage or bruising.
Keep an eye on the ants — they know a soft peach when they see one.
And if a branch is sagging, help it out before it helps itself to the ground.

And while the joy of a sun-warmed peach eaten right there in the orchard is hard to beat, there’s also something deeply satisfying about knowing this harvest doesn’t have to be fleeting.

Preserving the Harvest

Peach season doesn’t have to be a one-and-done deal. Sure, it’s tempting to eat them all fresh, but set a few aside and you’ll be tasting summer long after the orchard quiets down.

Around here, we lean on the classics: dried peaches (personally, my favorite dried fruit), jams for spreading summer on toast in the dead of winter, and freezing for those cobblers and smoothies when fresh fruit feels like a distant memory. You can even cook them down into syrups or sauces for a little peach sunshine over pancakes or ice cream.

It’s a good reminder that the chaos of this season doesn’t just have to be about keeping up — it can also be about stocking up.

So here’s to peach season: short, sweet, sticky, and worth every minute.

P.S. If you’re ready for the easiest, most decadent summer dessert, check out our favorite grilled stone-fruit recipe below. Great for apricots, plums, and peaches!

Sweet Chaos: Notes from Peach Season