Why are we called Peach in the Bag?

It’s June, and it’s a special moment for us. Time has come to put paper bags on our Slow Food Presidium peaches.

“Paper bags on peaches??!! You’re kidding!!!”

No, no kidding. We put a paper bag on EVERY SINGLE peach in our Peach in the Bag orchard. It’s not an easy job. But it’s worth it.

In the 1960s, when Leonforte producers faced the problem of protecting their peaches from the Mediterranean fly, the use of the DDT was already very spread worldwide. It seemed a very modern and intelligent solution, but we in Leonforte came up with another one, and we’re happy about it.

In June, when the peaches are the size of an almond, we put a paper bag on every peach directly on the tree, thus protecting it from the insects. Obviously, no insecticides are needed any more.

Throughout the Sicilian summer the fruit ripens normally inside the bag that lets through both air and the sun’s rays. So, in September it is yellow, sweet and inviting, ready to be picked and eaten, or to be preserved in jar in Samperi’s processing laboratory. Thanks to the bag, we can leave the peaches on the tree until they’re fully ripe and sweet, gaining in taste and quality of the product.

Over the years, while peach production overall has become increasingly technological, often at the expense of taste, we have maintained our tradition unaltered. For this reason, Samperi can now offer its customers the flavour of long ago, while the Peach in the Bag has obtained the title of a Slow Food Presidium.

Fun fact: every worker bags from 2000 to 2500 peaches a day…