North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

On Sep 5, 2010, at 1:54 PM, Alan Haigh wrote:

> OK, I got responses here and elsewhere indicating people are real happy 
> with the northeast peach harvest and growers in Texas and elsewhere 
> indicated that high heat doesn't  hurt peaches until it gets to at least 
> 110 F. 
> 
> But one person involved in viticulture did come up with an interesting 
> suggestion.  Apparently wine grape quality is damaged by too warm nights- 
> not in terms of total brix but as a result of producing grapes with less 
> acid.  Many people like low acid fruit and most might not miss a reduction 
> in the acid content of peaches, but I've always preferred my peaches with 
> some acidic bite.   Now that I've been presented with this idea it does 
> seem that my peaches are cloyingly sweet this year- even the few perfect 
> ones with great size and color outside and in.  
> 
> Unless any of you can debunk this theory I'll think I'll run with it- my 
> peaches don't taste as good to me this year as a result of low acid brought 
> on by so many warm nights.
> _______________________________________________

Or maybe they are too sweet for your tastes?  I live only a little north of 
you, in eastern MA, and the peaches here were excellent, but did not lack 
acid.  I (like you) like a nice acidic bite in my fruit, and I won't buy the 
bland white peaches for this reason.  I would certainly have missed the acid 
if it were lacking in the local crop.

Ginda