8/12/2019 Mick Klug Peaches

1/3

SUMMER 2014 A MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES ISSUE 24

Mick Klug on Peaches

THE HEIRLOOM TOMATO

Refresh: Cold Summer Soups

8/12/2019 Mick Klug Peaches

2/3

28 edibleCHICAGO | SUMMER 2014

From the Good Earth

For some, summer has arrived when

the mercury in the thermometer

first hits the 90-degree mark. For

local eaters, however, summer isnt really in

full bloom until the first ripe, juicy peach hits

the farmers market.

When Mick Klugs stand at local markets

is packed with peaches, summer eating is at

its best. Hes been a farmer all of his lifehis

farm in Michigan has been in his family for

more than 80 years. For 34 of those years,

hes been bringing peaches to markets allover the city.

I was born on the farm, said Klug.

Back when my parents bought the place, the

majority of the 40 acres was peaches. Now,

he grows about 20 acres of peaches, which

includes more than 20 different varieties.

If you buy peaches somewhere other

than a farmers market, youre probably doing

it wrong. Out of season, peaches sometimes

taste more like stale, peach-flavored gummy

candy rather than an actual fruit. Why?

Because they are not even close to fresh.

If its in the store, I would say its been a

week, maybe ten days, since it was harvested,

by the time it goes through the packing

house and onto a truck, Klug estimates.

They just dont have any flavor to them.

Many of these shipped peaches are

picked unripe before being trucked across

the country, which is why they never taste

quite right. The biggest thing is lettingthe peach hang on the tree and let it ripen.

Thats why our peaches at the market are so

popular; the majority are picked one or two

days before. People that buy local are getting

the peak of flavor.

Each of his many peach varieties are

distinct, and Klug can rattle off the qualities

of each. Do you want a sweeter peach? Try a

Loring. A great peach for kids? Try a Yellow

Donut peach. Autumn Star, Canadian

Harmony, Garnet Beauty. The names roll off

your tongue like racehorses or rock bands.

Klug has been bringing peaches to sell at

Chicago markets long before local sourcing

became as popular as it is now, but hes not

cynical about the sudden trendiness. Quite

the opposite. The person that came up with

buy local as a sloganits been a huge plus.

Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon,

he explains. It was just a matter of time as

people got educated. Why buy this stuff fromthe grocery store when people can know the

guy whos growing it? Its 100% better.

Hes also got a good stock of restaurant

clientsyouve probably seen the Mick Klug

name on menus all over town. Lots of pastry

chefs love to make peach pies, Klug says.

You can even get a Mick Klug fruit smoothie

on the fly at Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless

at OHare.

8/12/2019 Mick Klug Peaches

3/3

ediblechicago.com

Place matters for Klug. Michigan, it

turns out, is a great place to grow fruit. Big

swings in temperature and harsh frosts can

be bad for fruit production, but Klugs farm

is in the perfect spot. Our proximity to

Lake Michigan protects us from very cold

temperatures in the winter that can damage

and/or kill fruit trees. The western coast of

Michigan also has excellent soil for growing

fruit.

There is one thing thats not perfect

about Michigan, however, its tough to growfruit organically. Klug is completely open

about the fact that hes not an all-organic

producer. In the Midwest, especially in

fruit, its not impossible, but its next to

impossible.

Instead, Klug focuses on keeping his

interventions small and targeted. He has a

team of scouts that roam his farm looking

for any sign of pest infestation, and he can

rattle off insect species almost as fast as

peach varieties. There is a berry moth that

kills grapes, a fruit moth that eats peaches,

and the worst, a spotted wing fly that came

over from Asia. An invasive species, this

fly reproduces every 12 days and if its not

destroyed, crops can be ruined.

Klug has tried different approaches

over the years, including not spraying at all.

His restaurant clients, however, rejected his

berries that year when a few of them had

insects on them. So, now he works withthe Michigan Agriculture Environmental

Assurance Program, a certifying group

that helps farms minimize pollution. We

have to keep very careful records. I pride

myself on the quality of my produce, but my

second pride is knowing that its safe for the

consumer.

Its a very hard line between sustainable

and organic, but I think if people had the full

Summer in Full Bloom: Peaches

by Anthony Todd

realm of what exactly organic is, they might

lighten up, says Klug.

It is less about labels than about proper

stewardship for Klug. That, plus growing

really delicious products, of course.

Whats the best way to tell if a peach is

ripe? Hes quite emphatic that you should not

do what your grandma might have taught you.

Squeezing a peach is not a good way to pick

a good peach, he explains. It only bruises

the peach for the next customer. A ripe, tasty

peach can be firm to the touch, so no needto squeeze. The best way to get a ripe one is

to know your farmer and ask them when the

peaches were harvested. They can also help

you pick the right variety. Different peaches

work best for different thingscanning,

eating, bakingtalk to the grower; theyll

guide you in the right direction. If you want

to taste them for yourself, you can find Klug

and his peaches at Green City Market, the

Lincoln Square Farmers Market and the 61st

Street Farmers Market.

Oh, and in case you were wondering,

Klugs favorite peach dish is classic PeachCobbler. ec

Anthony Todd is a food and drink writer

and editor. His work has appeared in the

Chicago Sun-Times, Time Out Chicago,

Chicago Social Magazine, Plate Magazine,

Serious Eats, BlackBoardEats and City

Eats. Previously, Anthony was the Chicago

editor for The Tasting Table and the Food

& Drink Editor for Chicagoist.com. In his

spare time, when hes not eating, gardening, or

mixing drinks, he moonlights as an attorney.