Stone Fruits - Distilling Dames August 14

Stone Fruits - Drupes (loosely translates to olive in Greek) are a fleshy fruit with a single seed. 

Peaches

• Fossilized peach pits found in southwestern China date back over 2.5 million years. 

• In Chinese mythology, peaches represent longevity and unity. Peach blossoms were hung on doors during New Year celebrations to ward off evil spirits. 

• Peaches spread westward via the Silk Road, reaching Persia around 300 BCE. That’s why their botanical name is Prunus persica.

• While Spanish explorers introduced peaches to the Americas, it was Indigenous communities who truly spread and cultivated them. Their social networks and land stewardship helped peaches thrive across the Southeast by the early 1600s. 

Sweet summer peaches

Plums

• Archaeologists have found plum pits in Bronze Age sites, especially varieties like Mirabelle, showing that humans have cultivated plums for thousands of years. 

• Dried plums (prunes) were found in Egyptian tombs under the pyramids, suggesting they were considered valuable enough for the afterlife.

• In Chinese culture, plums symbolize perseverance and renewal. 

• Plums have long been used in traditional medicine, especially in China and Japan, for digestive health and detoxification.

Apricots

• Originated in Central Asia and China over 4,000 years ago.

• In ancient China, apricot groves were associated with scholars and healers. Confucius was said to teach under apricot trees, and the fruit was praised in classical Chinese medicine texts.

Cherries

• Archaeological evidence shows humans were eating wild cherries during the Stone Age, making them one of the earliest fruits in our diet. 

• The word “cherry” comes from the ancient Greek town of Cerasus (modern-day Giresun, Turkey), which gave rise to the Latin cerasum and eventually the English “cherry” 

• In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms (sakura) symbolize the fleeting nature of life. 

• In medieval Christian art, cherries represented paradise and purity. linked to Christ’s blood and sacrifice. 

• In Greek and Roman mythology, cherry trees were sacred to Aphrodite and Venus, linking them to desire and abundance. 

• The famous tale of young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree was fabricated to illustrate his honesty—it’s pure folklore.

Relevance to Colorado

Orchard overlooking the Bookcliffs in Mesa County (Palisade)

Peaches

• Colorado’s Western Slope peaches are famed for their sweetness and juiciness. The high altitude, hot days, and cool nights create ideal sugar development. 

• In the late 1800s, settlers in Palisade diverted water from the Colorado River to irrigate orchards, transforming the region into a fruit basket of the Rockies. 

• Palisade alone boasts more than half a million peach trees, making it the undisputed “Peach Capital of Colorado”

Plums

• Prunus Americana, native to Colorado, thrives in plains, foothills, and canyon bottoms. They are cold and drought-tolerant, making them perfect for Colorado’s climate. 

• Wild Colorado plums range in color from red to purple and have a sour skin with sweet flesh when ripe. They’re often used for jams, jellies, and even fruit leather. 

• Native plum trees often form dense thickets, which provide habitat for wildlife and help prevent erosion along creek beds and slopes.

Cherries

• Sweet cherries like Bing and Rainier thrive on Colorado’s Western Slope, especially near Palisade. Their season runs from late June to mid-July. 

• Sour cherries (like Montmorency and North Star) are more reliable on the Front Range due to their cold hardiness and self-pollinating nature. 

• Pie cherries were once a major crop near Fort Collins and Boulder—until a devastating frost in 1949 wiped out every tree, reportedly with audible cracking.

Apricots

• Apricot trees grow in Colorado up to elevations of 6,500 feet. However, their early spring blooms are vulnerable to late frosts, making fruit yields unpredictable. 

• Popular Colorado varieties like Moorpark, Moongold, Scout, and Sungold are great because they are cold hardy. 

• Many apricot trees in Colorado are self-pollinating, meaning they don’t require a second tree to bear fruit—ideal for small

Recipes

Peach Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Dry Land Cactus Spirit

• 4 oz fresh peach juice

• 2 oz marg mix (see below)

• Ice

Instructions:

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

• Add gin, lemon juice, and borage syrup (see below).

• Shake until well chilled.

• Strain into an ice-filled glass.

• Top with club soda and garnish with a lemon slice and borage flowers.

Dry Land’s simple Marg Mix

• 2 parts Orange Juice

• 2 parts lime

• 1 part simple syrup

Peach Mojito

Ingredients:

• 2 oz white rum

• 2 oz peach puree

• 6-8 mint leaves

• 1 half lime cut into wedges

• 1 oz peach simple syrup (recipe below)

• Club soda (to taste)

Grab a highball, fill with ice and all ingredients, except club soda. Stir well. 

Add soda to taste. Garnish with lime and peach

Peach Simple Syrup

• 4 peaches

• 1 oz lemon juice

• 1 ½ C sugar

• 2 C water

Peel and cut peaches. In a small pan, warm peaches, lemon and sugar. Heat until sugar is melted. Add water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Filter pulp in mesh strainer (it may require 2 passes).

Make sweeten fruit leather with pulp. 200o oven for 30-60 minutes, check regularly.