Pick Dickey Farms Peaches. Make Your Georgia Peach Ice Cream

Start with a Peach

You go to Dickey Farms. You breathe the sweet air. You learn the smell of sun. You reach for a peach that gives when you press. You pick one that hums with juice.

This guide shows you how to pick the right fruit. It shows how to make true Georgia peach ice cream. It shows one simple way to serve it with boiled peanuts and other Southern treats.

You will taste summer again. and share it.

Follow Peaches from Orchard to Packaging at Dickey Farms in Crawford

Find the rows

You walk the orchard. You see long lines of trees. Walk slowly. Scan the branches. The best blocks may be marked. Ask staff for the blocks that ripen that day. They know the trees. They know which rows hold the sweetest fruit.

Spot the ripe fruit

Look for deep, even color. Smell near the stem. A ripe peach smells like sugar. Press lightly with your thumb. If it yields, it is ready. Twist gently. If the peach comes free with a small turn, pick it. Avoid fruit with soft spots or green shoulders. Those bruise in the basket and lose juice.

Pick and pack like a pro

Use both hands. Support the fruit. Don’t drop it. Place peaches in a single layer in a shallow box. Padding helps. Do not stack heavy on top of soft fruit. Label the box with the date. Move fruit to shade as soon as you can.

Bring these items:

Gear, timing, and rules

Go early. Pick in the cool hours before noon. Cooler fruit stays firm and ships better. Wear sun protection. Bring gloves if you want to avoid fuzz on your hands. Check u‑pick rules at the entrance. Some farms limit how much you can pick. Some ask you to stay in marked rows. Follow the rules. They keep the fruit and the trees healthy.

Talk to the staff

Ask where the sweetest blocks are. Ask which varieties are best for cooking or freezing. They will tell you which trees give firm peaches that hold up in ice cream. They may point you to a sour‑sweet variety for a bright flavor. Pick a mix if you like contrast.

When your boxes are full and the sun climbs, you will be ready to sort and choose which peaches will star in your ice cream.

Sugar, flesh, and aroma

You want sugar. You want firm flesh. You want scent when you lift the peach to your nose. Sugar feeds the flavor. Firm flesh holds shape in the churn. Smell near the stem. If it smells sweet and bright, it will sing in ice cream.

Freestone or cling?

Freestone peaches peel and pit cleanly. They save time and give neat chunks. Clingstone can be juicy and floral. They need more work. For home churns, freestone is friendlier.

Ripeness and texture

A slightly underripe peach will keep pieces intact. It will give good bite. An overripe peach smells like perfume. It melts down fast and needs less added sugar. Avoid mealy peaches. Mealy flesh gives mud, not peach. Test one or two on the tree before you buy a bushel. You will learn fast which trees make the best ice cream.

How many to pick

Count on four to five medium peaches per quart of ice cream. If you like big fruit chunks, lean to five. If you cook the fruit into a compote first, four will do. Write the count on a slip of paper and tuck it in your basket.

Handle with care

Keep fruit cool. Move boxes to shade. Put picked peaches in a single layer. Use shallow trays or a cooler with a towel. Use softer fruit first. Pack the firm ones for later. If you bring a sharp tool, a small Victorinox paring knife or an OXO Good Grips peeler will speed prep without bruising.

You will learn which varieties at Dickey Farms suit your taste. Try a taste of each block. Note the names. Soon you will know which tree gives the honey notes you want and which gives bright zip. This will make the next step—turning peaches into ice cream—easier and truer to your taste.

Pick your path

You have two simple roads. One is custard. It is silk and depth. The other is no‑churn. It is fast and bright. Choose the one that fits your day and your gear.

Custard base — step by step

Heat 2 cups cream and 1 cup whole milk with half a vanilla bean or 1 tsp extract. Warm until steam rises. Do not boil.
Whisk 5–6 egg yolks with 3/4 to 1 cup sugar until pale. Temper the yolks by stirring a little hot milk into them. Then pour the yolk mix back into the pot.
Cook on low. Stir with a wooden spoon. Heat until the custard coats the spoon and reaches about 175°F. Do not scramble. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups peach purée. Add 1 tsp fine salt to wake the flavors.
Chill the base fully. Overnight is best. The colder the base, the better the churn. Churn in your ice cream maker until it slows. Fold in macerated peach chunks. Pack and harden in the freezer.

No‑churn cream — step by step

Chill a metal bowl and the whisk. Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Whip 2 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks.
Fold in one 14‑oz can sweetened condensed milk and 1 to 1 1/2 cups peach purée. Fold gently. Overmix will deflate the air. Stir in a pinch of salt. Add a splash (1–2 tbsp) of bourbon or peach liqueur if you like.
Fold in diced, macerated peaches for chew. Freeze in a loaf pan. Stir once after two hours to break ice crystals. Freeze until firm.

Macerate, texture, and flavor lifts

Macerate diced peaches with a pinch of sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice for 15–30 minutes. This lifts flavor and keeps fruit bright.
Use some purée for color. Save chunks for chew.
Salt boosts sweetness. A pinch goes far.
A splash of bourbon or Nolet’s Peach Liqueur deepens the profile.
Avoid overcooking the fruit. Cooked too long and the peach loses its zip.
Chill every component. The colder the base, the smoother the ice cream.
If you use a Cuisinart ICE‑30 or Breville Smart Scoop, follow maker timings. If you use a KitchenAid to whip cream, keep speeds low when folding in fruit.

Salt meets sweet

Sweet, cold peach ice cream calls for salt. The salt wakes the fruit. Boiled peanuts give you both salt and chew. Buy roasted or shelled boiled peanuts at Georgia markets or the farm stand. You can serve them warm. Or you can serve them at room temp. Both work.

Crumble a few over a scoop for crunch. Let some sit whole on the plate. Ask the vendor how they seasoned the peanuts. Some use just salt. Some add garlic or Cajun spice. If you plan a picnic, pack small bags to sell or share. Folks love them.

Sides that sing

Choose one or two simple sides. Keep them plain and buttery.

Warm bread pulls the cold ice cream into a soft, lovely mess. Shortbread holds shape and gives a snap.

Garnish and finish

Top with warm peach compote or a light caramel drizzle. Use a spoon. Less is more. Add a mint sprig for brightness. Dust a little coarse flake salt. The salt lifts sweetness without killing it.

If you want crunch, fold in chopped, macerated peaches and a handful of crumbled peanuts. Try one or two pieces of pecan brittle for texture contrast. If you use bourbon or liqueur in the ice cream, match a small pour on the side.

A small real-world note: at a roadside stand near Savannah, a scoop dusted with flaky salt and a few boiled peanuts had people coming back for seconds. Simple moves like that change a good scoop into a moment.

Next, you will learn how to store, preserve, and share the peach joy so you always have a jar or pint ready for the next warm afternoon.

Freeze for later

Peaches will not wait. Slice them. Lay pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Give each slice space. Freeze until hard. Move the frozen slices to heavy freezer bags or a vacuum bag. Push out the air. Label with the date. Use within 10–12 months for best flavor.

Use a half‑sheet pan or a rimmed baking sheet. Silicone mats or parchment keep fruit from sticking. For bags, compare Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags for cost and convenience or reusable Stasher bags for less waste.

Make quick preserves

If you want ready fruit, make freezer jam or a simple syrup soak. For freezer jam: mash 2 cups peeled peach to 1 cup sugar, add pectin and lemon juice, then follow the pectin package. For syrup: simmer equal parts sugar and water until clear, cool, pour over sliced peaches, jar and chill.

For small gifts, cook a batch of peach butter. Simmer chopped peaches with a little sugar and spice. Cook low until thick. Jar while hot. Cool and label.

Can or preserve to send

If you plan to can, follow a tested, safe canning recipe. Use the water‑bath method for preserves and high‑sugar jams. Sterilize jars. Leave proper headspace. Process for the right time. If you are unsure, consult the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Label jars with contents and a use date. Tell the recipient how to open and when to use.

Freeze your extra ice cream

For the smoothest set, pour ice cream into a shallow metal pan. Use a 9×13 stainless or aluminized pan. Freeze until firm. Then transfer to airtight containers. Press a sheet of parchment against the surface to prevent ice crystals. Metal chills fast. It gives a creamier texture than deep tubs.

Pack, share, and teach

Pack peaches and boiled peanuts for the trip home in a cooler. Use ice packs and towel layers. Keep jars upright and padded.

Keep one jar for yourself. Keep one story to tell. When your jars sit on the shelf, you are ready for the last step of the plan: scoop and share your peach.

Scoop and Share Your Peach

You picked well at Dickey Farms. You made ice cream that tastes of sun and ripe flesh. You paired it with boiled peanuts and small southern joys. You froze jars for cold nights.

Now scoop generous bowls. Share with kin and friends. Keep the memory of the farm. Tell others where the peaches came from.