Peaches and nectarines are available from July through September with the peak of production usually occurring between mid July and mid-September.
Jersey Fruit’s growers strive for high color and full flavor and therefore harvest each peach and nectarine tree numerous times. All fruit are hydro-cooled in the harvest bins within 1 or 2 hours of harvest. Bins are then transported to a state-of-the-art facility and packing line that incorporates computer-controlled optical size and color sorting, as well as PLU labeling of individual fruit.
All fruit are graded according to Jersey Fruit standards, which are more stringent than USDA standards. Quality criteria include color, brix, uniformity of size and color, and overall appearance. Any lot of fruit not meeting Jersey Fruit standards can not be packed into the cooperative’s “bloom” box which is an attractive preprinted box well known to the eastern U.S. fresh peach industry.
