It's a summer tradition in Seattle, the annual Peach-O-Rama promotion at the Metropolitan Market stores, For 17 years now, Metropolitan has been seeking out peaches that are "measureably" sweeter. Measured with a refractometer, the same gadget that wine makers use in the vineyards to determine sugar levels in the grapes so they know when to harvest. It's a simple, handheld device that checks density. Grapes get riper than any other fruit, between 22 and 26 Brix (percentage of sugar); peaches are next, nudging close to 15.
Two growers specifically: Pence Orchards in Washington's Yakima Valley, outside of Wapato; and Frog Hollow Farms, an organic grower in Brentwood, Calif. "Just like the peaches of yesteryear, the juice runs down the chin and off the elbow," says Metropoltan's ceo Terry Halverson.
Two decades ago, determined to improve the quality of the peaches they were selling in their stores, Metropolitan commissioned Jon Rowley to find the best peaches on the west coast. Rowley had previously worked on the Copper River Salmon project (and would go on to work with Taylor Shellfish on the Oyster Wine competition). It took him two years and 2,000 miles to find what he was looking for: not just great peaches but growers willing to pack directly into a single-layer box and to refrain from holding the fruit in refrigerated storage facilities. Straight to market, in other words.
Everywhere he went, Rowley would squeeze a few drops of nectar onto his refractometer (which he still carries, the way a sommelier carries a corkscrew everywhere, the way we all now carry cellphones). The level of sweetness is immediately apparent. Other stores are content to sell peaches with 11 Brix; Metropolitan's, at 14 to 18 Brix, are also plumper, averaging 7.5 ounces.
The Washington peaches are $2.99 a pound, the organic California fruit is $3.79. A bit cheaper if you buy a whole case. Daily updates at PeachORama.com
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