Today, Sumter is a mid-sized city in the Midlands of South Carolina, but its history reveals that it was also home to some of the Palmetto State’s earliest Jewish families. Sephardic family members became merchants and professionals after making their way inland from Charleston between 1815 and 1820. Later, during the mid-1800s, Jewish immigrants arrived from Germany and Prussia. Among them were members of the Levi and Barnett families. Starting out as merchants and farmers in rural Clarendon, Sumter and Lee Counties, they eventually made their way to the town of Sumter to open stores and continue farming. Later generations became professionals, but agriculture remained at the heart of the family business.
Henry D. Barnett — “Bubba,” the son of H. D. Barnett Sr. — came to farming naturally. His grandfather, B. J. Barnett, arrived in the country in the mid-1800s, opened a rural store, acquired acreage and began farming. After his duty during World War II, Bubba returned to Sumter to take over the family farms. He and Patty Levi were married in 1950 and settled in the family home on Warren Street. Bubba’s love for farming and interest in innovative crops led him to peach farming. He planted his first peach tree the year his oldest son was born. Barnett explained that a horticulturist urged him to experiment with peach crops because the underground water levels and contour of his land made it conducive to peach farming. The year was 1956. Barnett’s Peaches grew to become one of the largest peach orchards in the state.
Excerpted from KUGELS & COLLARDS: STORIES OF FOOD, FAMILY, AND TRADITION IN JEWISH SOUTH CAROLINA by Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey. © 2023 Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey. Used by permission of the University of South Carolina Press. uscpress.com/Kugels-and-Collards.
Easy Peach Cobbler
A tried-and-true favorite South Carolina cobbler recipe, a Southern favorite of the Barnett family, owners of Barnett’s Peaches, Sumter, S.C.
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (½ cup)
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking powder and the milk. Pour the batter over the melted butter. Do not mix.
- Add peaches. Do not mix. Sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar over the peaches. Bake at 350°F until the crust forms and browns.
- Serve warm or cool.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes-1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Sephardic
Absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Thank you!
★★★★★
Can I substitute blueberries for peaches? Would there be any other changes to recipe
Hi Elaine, we have not tested this recipe with blueberries instead of peaches, but please let us know how it turns out if you do.
Have you tried this recipe with a plant based milk like almond or oat milk?
Hi Rachel, we have not tested the recipe with plant-based milk but please let us know how it turns out. Rachel at The Nosher.