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When I go to my home state, South Carolina, in peach season, I always bring back some peaches for friends and neighbors. The following happened years ago and gave me a nickname from one of my first son’s friends.

I had just returned from a trip to my hometown. Following my tradition, I brought back some South Carolina peaches to share with my neighbors and some for my family.

Ever since I can remember, my family always loved South Carolina peaches. There is just something about their juicy, sweet, peachy goodness, that sets them apart for me from all other peaches. (I have to interject here that some parts of Georgia and at least western parts of North Carolina grow the same peaches.) Since I grew up in South Carolina I will just talk about SC peaches. I love SC PEACHES!!

Peachy history

Peaches originated in 2000 BC and were written about as being a delight to the Chinese emperors of the 10th century. During the reign of the Persian Empire, Persian Apples (peaches) traveled with Persian traders and reached the Roman empire and that of Alexander the Great.

Well, Alexander the Great spread them wherever they had not been sampled before, across Europe and everywhere else practically. Peaches eventually came across to America in SC in the 1600’s. The Native Americans spread the seeds as they traveled, and that’s how they got all over our country.

So what is so peachy about South Carolina peaches?

SC peaches have made my home state the biggest peach producer on the Eastern part of our country, Georgia comes in second. But to me that only speaks to the goodness of these fruits, so full of vitamins and flavor.

The SC peaches I find to be generally bigger, juicier, more flavorful, more enjoyable (Oops, I am prejudiced). Some peach lovers described them as having a  fruity, honey taste. The outside of the peach is also a beautiful pinkish color and the fruit itself has a marvelous aroma that lures your mind into a craving for more. Just look at these!

Even though I live in North Carolina, I enjoy going home to South Carolina where I grew up. I go to see the part of my family who still lives there when I can. I try to schedule a trip to SC during peach season. I usually buy one half of a peck of peaches to share with my family and friends here at my home in North Carolina.

South Carolina peaches start growing May 1st and continue to Labor Day. Over 12 years ago, after returning from one of these trips, I was eager to share my home state’s amazing peaches and see the faces of my family and friends as they savored the juicy, peachy goodness.

After one such trip, I was loaded with a good supply of peaches. When I returned, my oldest son had a friend visiting. Now I was always taught to be a good hostess: to offer food or drink to a guest. I figured he had never had the pleasure of tasting SC, juicy, wonderful peaches. So I asked if he would like one.

“Oh… no thank you Mrs. E.”

I figured he didn’t want to “put me out” (Southern(?) expression for “inconvenience”). So I waited a little while and told him if he wanted to try one I would peel and cut a slice for him.

“Oh, that’s nice of you but no thank  you.”

Perceiving his reticence as extreme politeness, I prepared a couple of peaches for myself (and whoever else might want one) and offered him one last chance to enjoy even a taste of a wonderful, succulent, sweet, South Carolina peach. After all who could resist a South Carolina peach??!!

“No, that’s okay. I appreciate the offer.”

Okay, his loss, my gain. (lol!) None for him, more for me! I didn’t pester him any more.

Later my son came for another visit and told me that his friend had shared our encounter and my peach offerings with his other roommates. The friend said, “She was like Betty Crocker on acid!”

Somehow, this story got around to my son’s other friends, and I had a reputation….for offering peaches, water, or food to anyone who comes to my house. At least I have buckets of Southern Hospitality when company comes!

But I still wonder if that nickname is remembered by the other people in my son’s group. Oh, well I bet he will regret someday that he didn’t at least try one bite of my South Carolina Peaches!!