Peaches

Pilgrim Orchards proudly grows four different varieties of peaches. These are the New Haven, our newest and earliest variety;  the Suncrest, an eating peach capable of growing to epic proportions;  the Veteran, a sweet freestone that is especially popular with canners; and the Improved Elberta, a true classic regarded by many as the ultimate canning peach. We hope this page helps you decide which one is right for you (we feel the most definitive way to pick your favorite is always a taste-test). Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

• New Haven

Our little section of 125 New Haven trees serve as a sweet starter for our peach season. They usually ripen mid July and offer our first taste of sunshine from a tree. New Havens are perfect for eating fresh and they freeze well. Eager-beaver canners should wait for our next variety as these do not come off the pit well. 

• Suncrest

We consider Suncrest peaches to be the ultimate eating peach, and many of our regular customers agree. They are famous for sweet juiciness and they travel unusually well when carefully handled. They are great for freezing or in a pie, but hard to get off the pit for pretty canning results. 

• Veteran

The Veterans provide the backbone of our home-canning operation, and are the first choice for many of our regular customers. It is a sweet, soft, and juicy peach that is easy to peel when ripe and easy to get off the pit. The main drawback is the fact that it bruises easily, so handle with care. 

• Improved Elberta

In the peach hall of fame, the Improved Elberta is one of the classic canning peaches. It is firm, easy to peel, and comes off the pit well. While it is not as sweet as some of our other varieties, the firm texture creates a stunning result with a little sweetener in a canning jar or pie.