LIFE LIST UPDATE – No. 173: Eat a peach from Chilton County, Alabama

A basket of Chilton County's famous peaches.

Chilton County, Ala. is known far and wide for its delicious peaches, but despite having passed through that area many times, I’d never taken the time to sample the fruit that has helped put Chilton County on the map. I’ve had one of these peaches in my sights ever since Southern Living magazine named them “The Best Peaches in Alabama,” and I finally got to try one yesterday thanks to my mom and sister. To say that it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten would be an understatement.

The county seat of Chilton County is Clanton, a.k.a. “The Peach Capital of Alabama,” and it's located between Birmingham and Montgomery, off of Interstate Highway 65. If you’ve ever driven through there you’ve probably noticed Clanton's iconic water tower that’s shaped like a giant peach. Peaches sold in locations just off the interstate are picked fresh from the orchards located close by. These peaches are part of a Chilton County crop that accounts for two-thirds of the state’s annual peach crop, which has helped make the peach the state’s top-selling commercial fruit.

My sister and her family live in Athens, Ala. and when my mom heard that my sister would be coming home this weekend for my nephew’s birthday party, she asked her to stop in Clanton to pick up a basket of Chilton County’s famous peaches. My mom plans to make jam out of them. For less than $17, my sister bought a large basket of peaches at Headley’s Big Peach, which is located on Lay Dam Road in Clanton. She delivered them to my mom on Saturday, and my mom let me sample one on Sunday.

My sister said that Headley’s Big Peach sold over a dozen different types of peaches, and that she was a bit overwhelmed by the selection. She wasn’t exactly sure what type of peaches she bought for my mom, but I’d say they were average size. The peach I picked out to sample was a little heavier than most that I’m used to, but it didn’t have much fuzz on it. I gave it a good wash in the sink, dried it off good and sank my teeth in.

I was immediately caught off guard by how much juice the peach contained and had to make a mad grab for a nearby roll of paper towels to mop up all the juice that I’d gotten all over myself and the table. The fruit tasted sweet, but not too sweet, and I remember thinking that I could probably eat the whole basket. I don’t know how that one peach could have been any better, and it bordered on perfect just about as well as anything I've ever had the pleasure of eating.

In the end, I enjoyed scratching another item off my “life list,” and I highly recommend that you sample some Chilton County peaches if you ever get the chance. How many of you out there have ever eaten a peach from Chilton County? What did you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.