Peaches from Bajo Aragón with their own Protected Designation of Origin. Grown in the Calanda area (Teruel), with a unique way of ripening.
The peaches of Bajo Aragón with their own Protected Designation of Origin. Grown in the Calanda (Teruel) area, with a unique form of maturation in which they receive practically no treatment. A product that stands out for its flavor, texture, appearance and aroma . We will find that the species Prunus persica, from the autochthonous variety "Late Yellow" and its selected clones are recognized as Calanda peach : Jesca, Evaisa and Calante .
Teruel municipality whose population does not reach 4,000 inhabitants, birthplace of the filmmaker Luis Buñuel. Located in a strategic point for cultivation, its area being watered by the Guadalope and Gadalopillo rivers. It is no coincidence that it is in this region of Aragon where one of the peach varieties with the best known of the peninsula is produced. The fame of the Calanda peach is not limited to the Spanish territory, and it is that with an average production certified by the Calanda Peach Regulatory Council of 3 and a half million kilos, it has already dragged on for more than 5 years in which 20% of this is exported.
In 1992 the "Pocketed peaches of Calanda" seal was registered as its own brand in the Calanda City Council, thus, the Consistory presented in the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.
Around 2,500 hectares of cultivation extend between Teruel and Zaragoza, peaches being a significant contribution to the economy of the Bajo Aragon. The Denomination of Origin includes 45 municipalities to the southeast of the Ebro depression. To say that a large part of the companies correspond to family farms .
It is a fruit with a yellow color , between straw and cream. This chromaticism applies the integrity of the fruit, from the skin to the bone, since it is collected almost ripe.
With firm texture and with a smooth appearance, without bites or marks generated by insects or the storm. This is explained by their peculiar way of isolating and protecting them.
The standard of flavor for sugar content that is established for these peaches is 12 degrees Brix . Once collected, not as long in the chamber as other fruits. It is at this point that its aroma is appreciable. The PH at the time of harvest is between 3.5 and 4.5.
The final product has a considerable size, and it is that using the thinning technique a fleshy fruit is obtained with a minimum of 73 mm in diameter .
Calanda peach cultivation requires special care. Since it uses a series of techniques that make it so special and coveted. The size we have mentioned is explained in the thinning process, already mentioned. This means that a selective elimination is carried out manually, leaving each one a minimum of 20 centimeters apart. This discard involves 70% of the fruits, so that those that do reach maturity, do so with a unique size and juiciness.
Certain farms use natural carpets composed of herbaceous and legume species, to protect the soil from tillage, thus protecting the tree from other possible threats that may affect production. One more addition to the ecological value of this peach.
But without a doubt the most unique and characteristic fruit technique is bagging . It is to this process that many of the qualities that stand out of the Calanda peach are owed. And it is that the last 2 months of maturation before being picked, the fruits are protected by a translucent bag, so that they are protected from climatic factors, external agents and phytosanitary products. Bagging begins in mid-June and is done manually, so that each peach is carefully covered one by one. This is how they get their color and remarkable aspects.
Although there are records of the existence of peach crops already in the Middle Ages, the bagging would not appear until 50 years ago . It is indisputably the most distinctive factor in Calanda production.
The Calanda peach obtained the PDO in 1999. In this, quality, production and marketing standards were established and collected, in addition to the production area of the coveted fruit. Techniques such as thinning and bagging are reflected in these. The latest update of the certificate was given in the Statutes of the protected designation of origin "Peach of Calanda" in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 120, June 26, 2017.
Those peaches that comply with this regulation are distinguished with a numbered black label, which certifies and allows the monitoring of the product in the commercialization. Which, always depending on the weather, occurs from mid-September to the end of October. Outside of this term it is probably not a true Calanda peach.
