Project to Determine Opportunities and Financial Feasibility of Value Added Products from Colorado Peaches

Project Leader: Charlie Talbott, Talbott Farms, Palisade, CO Technical Advisor: Matt Rogoyski, CSU Western Colorado Research Ctr., Grand Junction, CO Project Year: 2004

Project Summary

Each year, hundreds of thousands of peaches grown in Colorado are discarded due to their condition, blemishes, or not meeting USDA size standards. Not only is this a waste of fruit, but a waste of the money for disposal. The objective of this project is to explore the possibility of producing value-added products from the discarded peaches. The ideas for the peach products are: peach nectar, frozen consumer pack, frozen food service pack, dried fruit slices, peach 'leather', peach puree, syrups, and jams.

There are three primary components in the determination of the feasibility of producing peach products:

•  The raw peaches being used for the product must be analyzed for suitability for further processing. Standards for size, maturity, and uniformity must be determined. Ideally, the product developed will lend itself to the broadest spectrum possible for utilization of the majority of peaches.

•  Production, facility, and equipment requirements must be established. The product developed must be of high market quality and must not be less or equal to equipment and facility costs.

•  The final commitment to go through with commercial production based upon the development of commitments in wholesale and retail venues to purchase the product at quantities and prices that would return a profit.

For a copy of the full annual report please click here to contact the Specialty Crops Program.