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sdpelletier

Indian Free Peach Taste

sdpelletier
10 years ago

Is it worth trying to grow Indian Free white peach? How does the taste compare to other white peaches?

Comments (28)

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    You have yellow peaches and you have white peaches then you have Indian Free. In a class by itself. It's unfair (to the other peaches) to compare to white or yellows.
    Yes, it is a white, but it really is different. Indian Blood Cling is probably another gem.
    I actually have never tasted one, but I think it is the highest rated peach at Dave Wilson taste tests, or was, Also Scott from here, rates in #1. I'll probaly have a few next year. My tree is only 2nd leaf. But it has all kinds of buds on it, most will be pruned off as I'm still forming structure.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Peach Report 2013

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 21:22

  • sdpelletier
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    They sound and look worth growing! Thanks

  • Scott F Smith
    10 years ago

    Indian Cling and free are very different, the former is a cooking/pickling peach and the latter a fresh eating peach. Indian Free gets bad brown rot but its worth it for me -- a unique peach. I like the USDA ARS description of the flavor: "cranberry phenolics".

    Scott

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    I would like to get Indian Cling for canning. Also another old cling Heath. If I can find it?
    I meant similar in taste only. Thomas Jefferson mentions they taste good fresh out of hand too. I would think it is tart, and carnberry like just like Indian Free.

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    10 years ago

    Cranberry phenolics sounds like a bitter wine not a #1 rated peach.

  • olpea
    10 years ago

    "Cranberry phenolics sounds like a bitter wine not a #1 rated peach."

    That's because bitter/dry wines don't have any sugar. Indian Free has lots of sugar.

    In terms of drinks, I would compare Indian Free to a peach nectar mixed with cranberry juice. The peach is refreshingly different, but not bitter.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    "In terms of drinks, I would compare Indian Free to a peach nectar mixed with cranberry juice. The peach is refreshingly different, but not bitter.
    "

    Yes, another good example of a nice balance of acid and sugar is Arctic Jay nectarine.

  • franktank232
    10 years ago

    It looks more like a Japanese red fleshed plum then a peach. Pretty sweet looking. Someone should cross it with an apricot and get an early ripening red fleshed cot :)

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    10 years ago

    Drew have you ever tasted an Arctic Jay nectarine that you grew? Or even one that you bought?

    If Indian Free is as sweet as Arctic Jay, mine have been low/mid 20s brix, it probably is great. If it's 13 brix then I don't think so.

    More people like sweet than tart, bitter, sour, etc put together. If we did a poll I'd bet sweet would rate at the top for any single factor that people would want in a peach.

    And here's the real crux of the matter, brix is a huge component of flavor. I can't name any fruit I grow that's good at 13 brix except blueberries and navel oranges. The later only after the acid level drops. Even citrus and blueberries are only great at about 18 brix just like everything else.

    I'll readily add your YMMV.

    This post was edited by fruitnut on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 14:57

  • sdpelletier
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    What is the average brix rating for indian free?

  • Scott F Smith
    10 years ago

    I don't measure brix but its sweeter than most peaches.

    Last I checked it was the all time winner in the Dave Wilson peach taste tests.

    Scott

  • mrsg47
    10 years ago

    Does Indian Free really get that red? I have been looking for a Peche de Vigne or 'Black Georgia' peach. I have a seed being sent to me next fall but would really love a tree. If Indian Red gets that red, that will do it for me. Thanks, Mrs. G PS. ditto on the brix of the Arctic Jay.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    It doesn't always get that red, probably if Fruitinut grew it, and got the brix up it would be that red! Arctic Jay and indian Free are both high acid and high sugar peaches, and both scored like crazy in the taste tests, they are certainly more simliar than different. I have tasted only an Arctic Glo which is a lot like Arctic Jay except it doesn't have the sugar the Jay has, so it's very tart! It's awesome!
    Why I bought a tree. I skipped over the Jay for the Glo, but I want a Jay too. I must admit, if it has acid and sugar I'm on board, so I want one, and will get one, but I'm moving soon. I bought a tree this year, and should not have, but couldn't stop myself, but no more for a few years! Darn!
    Here is another photo looking less red....

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    Other Red Flesh nectarines exist too, like Red Raspberry.
    And Fruitnut, were you not supposed to buy an Indian Free? Didn't we already go over this? Buy one, and I'll buy a Bluecrisp! :)

    Here is a Red Raspberry Nect!

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    Speaking of trees Jefferson grew, the one tree I had to buy. I'll take scion off of it when I move. A local nursery will bud scion on Lovell. No more trees till I move!
    My Old Mixon Free tree came in yesterday! No chance of planting it anytime soon! Still dormant, which is great!
    Tree is thick caliper, but already has super low branches, so perfect!

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    10 years ago

    Snow Beauty white peach topped the DWN ratings two years tying with Indian Free one of those years. But Indian Free never appeared in the top fruits any other year. Maybe it wasn't ever entered again. I don't have the full summary anymore.

    By comparison Flavor King pluot topped the ratings 5 years. Arctic Jay topped several yrs and rated high in others. For my taste and my farmers market customers, Arctic Jay is good but not the best. Arctic Star is better as are many of the Honey series of yellow fleshed, low acid, nectarines.

    I grew Arctic Star one year at 14 brix because of too much water. Big beautiful fruit and no taste. At that brix throwing in a bit of acid or cranberry phenolic probably would improve the taste but it still won't be good, IMO.

    This post was edited by fruitnut on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 16:40

  • mrsg47
    10 years ago

    Drew, if you do not mind, a bit of advice. Please only post pictures of your own fruit and fruit trees and bushes that you have taken. It is mis-leading to the rest of us. Many of the photos you post are not yours, however, they lead us to believe that it is your peach on your dish, when it is not. Please take this advice kindly. We all do a great deal of research. Mrs. G

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    From the Dave Wilson Site

    Indian Free The all-time highest rated peach at Dave Wilson Nursery fruit tastings

    Here is a link that might be useful: Indian Free

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 17:41

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    10 years ago

    Drew those writeups are sometimes 20 years out of date. What it does say is that Indian Free isn't self fertile. That might matter to a few people.

    I'm planting Indian Free peach and Red Raspberry nectarine this year. So no I haven't tasted Indian Free either but do hope I added something positive to the discussion.

  • sdpelletier
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I would love to find a honey royale somewhere

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    10 years ago

    sd Adam's County Nursery sometimes sells Honey Royale. Not this year but maybe next.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    Fruitnut,
    I look forward to your evaluations. Always informative.
    I was looking at Red Raspberry...
    Have you ever tried Old Mixon? Here am I Mr. Tart, getting a sweeter than candy white! The world appears upside down!?
    Here's some historic info on Old Mixon

    In 1807 Timothy Matlack sent Jefferson cuttings of both the "much boasted" Oldmixon Cling peach and Oldmixon Free, "a fine peach." They differ in the way the flesh adheres to the stone. The Oldmixon Cling ranked second only to the Heath Cling in the praise it received from pomologists. The tree's origin is attributed to John Oldmixon, author of The British Empire in America, 1741, and it rivals the Heath as the oldest named American peach. The Free variety originated
    very early in the nineteenth century from a seedling of the cling, and by 1811 it was list by the Landreth nursery of Philadelphia. The juice of the Oldmixon peaches is uncommonly candy-sweet.
    Text adapted from Fruit and Fruit
    Trees of Monticello by Peter J. Hatch

  • Bradybb WA-Zone8
    10 years ago

    I picked up a Red Raspberry Nectarine last year.There may be some fruit this time around.If there is,I'll report. Brady

  • bkgennings
    10 years ago

    I planted an Indian cling peach last year. I hope to get some fruit this year. When I was a kid my next door neighbors had what they called and Indian peach. I loved those peaches. I found out later through research it was an Indian blood cling peach. I hope. Those trees flourish here so feel good about planting one. This year I planted the Indian free peach from all the wonderful reports on its flavor. I love tart and sweet but not so sweet it has a mush texture. I know I will have trouble here with the Indian free peach but worth trying.

  • Scott F Smith
    10 years ago

    Mrs G, "Black Georgia" is the same as Indian Cling which is the same as Indian Blood or Indian Blood Cling. I don't know where you are getting seed from but don't plant any peach seed from Europe, plum pox can vector through seeds. Plum pox has kept many of the Peche de Vigne types out of the US, there is an interest but they can't be imported.

    Scott

  • mrsg47
    10 years ago

    Scott, the seed is coming from California! It is from a homesteading group I found. I had the opportunity to bring back 'Peche de Vigne' last fall but did not. Plum Pox is something I would not want to be responsible for spreading. Mrs. G

  • superpoutyduck
    10 years ago

    Indian Free is my favorite peach. Consistently in the low to mid 20's brix, I believe as high as 26 last year. On par with my Arctic Star, but with more zip, and none of the brown rot my AS had.

  • sdpelletier
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Adam's County Nursery only sell honey royales commercially at the moment .