Love Palisade Peaches? Here’s what makes them delicious, according to science

The Palisade peach might be one of Colorado's best-kept secrets.  

Those grocery store peaches from California or Georgia are perfectly fine. But a good peach from Western Colorado is often juicier, sweeter and bigger than its out-of-state competition.  

As peach season winds down for the year, the In The NoCo team wanted to find out: What makes the Palisade peach such a singular treat?  

It turns out, much of it has to do with the microclimate in Palisade and other fruit-growing areas of Colorado’s Western Slope.  

“Oftentimes we don’t have those massive temperature swings like you do over in the Front Range,” says Jeff Pieper. He’s a commercial horticulture specialist with Colorado State University Extension who helps growers in Palisade with everything from irrigation advice to dealing with insects. 

He shared some of the science behind what makes Palisade peaches such sought-after Colorado produce with ITN host Erin O’Toole.
 
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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot SessionsIn The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.