Farmer Al’s tasted more peaches than he can count, but one variety always wins his heart: the Cal Red. With its golden flesh, blushed skin, and unmatched sweetness, it’s no wonder he calls it his favorite. It’s the ultimate sweet and juicy yellow peach!
Cal Red fans are a dedicated bunch. Every summer, they mark their calendars and wait for that magical harvest window in August when our best-selling variety ripens in the orchard. And once they’re here, they’re gone in a flash, leaving behind nothing but the memory of their incredible flavor and a deep longing for next summer.
Why does the Cal Red inspire such devotion? For starters, it’s unbelievably sweet, regularly ranging from 13 to 18 Brix, a measure of sugar content (Read more about Brix in our recent blog post). “When you get up into the 18 Brix range,” Farmer Al says, “they taste so sweet you can hardly believe it!” One year, he picked one that measured an astonishing 26 Brix! “That’s just off the charts,” he laughs.
The flavor? Well, you’ll just have to experience it for yourself, but Farmer Al describes it as having a mango-like quality with a rich, complex flavor profile that keeps you coming back for more. No wonder some folks lovingly call it the “Oh my God” peach. One taste and you’ll understand exactly why.
From Our Early Days to Today
The Cal Red has been part of Frog Hollow Farm since the early years. Farmer Al first planted it in 1978, back when it was a new variety. During that time, when the farm was just 13 acres, we were a U-Pick operation. “People would line up with buckets to get our Cal Red peaches,” Farmer Al recalls. “They’d drive in by the dozens, head straight out to the orchard, and come back with buckets overflowing with Cal Reds. Word spread fast. It was unbelievable!”
Even now, decades later, the Cal Red’s reputation precedes it. Farmer Al loves telling the story of one Saturday morning at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. A woman came running up to his stand, wide-eyed with hope, and asked, “Do you still have Cal Reds?” She’d been buying them for the past two weeks and feared the season had ended. When Farmer Al said, “Yes, we still have them,” she sighed in relief and declared, “Thank God, all food should taste this good!”
That’s the magic of the Cal Red - it’s not just a piece of fruit. It’s a fleeting moment of summer perfection, a reminder of how good fruit can be when it’s grown with care, harvested at peak ripeness, and eaten fresh from the orchard.
So here’s your heads-up: when Cal Red season hits, don’t wait. Because once you take that first bite you’ll understand exactly why Farmer Al will always call it his favorite peach. Order your Cal Red peaches now and enjoy them at peak perfection!