The peaches are in!

[gfweb]

Our trees are winding down (finally). Too many peaches this year!

 

Lots of cobbler for us.

[Shelby]

Our trees are winding down (finally). Too many peaches this year!

 

Lots of cobbler for us.

There. Is. No. Way. That. You. Can. Ever. Have. Too. Many. Peaches.  Ever. No. Way.

 

 

 

[FauxPas]

Peaches are a highlight of summer for me, also. Shelby, I would love to see some pics of your pantry, because it sounds like you have some wonderful stuff in there. (or did you post some pics when you did your blog, I will have to go back and look) I don't do much canning these days because we have been moving around a lot, but I do love the sound of your canned peaches in winter! Do you make any jams, butters or chutneys, peach or otherwise? 

 

I still make peach jam now and then, but I do what I call micro-batches (not even small batches). When we have a couple of peaches that I know we probably won't get around to eating, I peel them and cook them in a skillet with about 1/4 their volume of sugar and a bit of lemon juice until they thicken enough for a spread. If I want more of a jam-texture I add a bit more sugar and/or cook a bit longer. I do the same with apricots or berries or other fruit. It gets stored in the fridge and is used quickly so I don't bother with sterilizing jars, etc.  

 

I love fresh peaches and lately have one for breakfast with a boiled egg or yogurt.

 

The local salmon and halibut are in season, and peach salsa goes so well with them. Just peach, red pepper, sweet onion, a bit of hot pepper, maybe garlic, lime juice. If we have some left over, it can be a substitute for relish on a burger. I also like peaches cooked with pork chops or grilled and served with ice cream. 

 

One of my current fave salads is sliced peaches and golden beets with red pepper and sweet onion and goat cheese and a citrus dressing. 

 

For some reason, I haven't made a peach cobbler (with pecans, mmm!) or pie for a couple of years. I might have to rectify that! 

[Shelby]

Peaches are a highlight of summer for me, also. Shelby, I would love to see some pics of your pantry, because it sounds like you have some wonderful stuff in there. (or did you post some pics when you did your blog, I will have to go back and look) I don't do much canning these days because we have been moving around a lot, but I do love the sound of your canned peaches in winter! Do you make any jams, butters or chutneys, peach or otherwise? 

 

I still make peach jam now and then, but I do what I call micro-batches (not even small batches). When we have a couple of peaches that I know we probably won't get around to eating, I peel them and cook them in a skillet with about 1/4 their volume of sugar and a bit of lemon juice until they thicken enough for a spread. If I want more of a jam-texture I add a bit more sugar and/or cook a bit longer. I do the same with apricots or berries or other fruit. It gets stored in the fridge and is used quickly so I don't bother with sterilizing jars, etc.  

 

I love fresh peaches and lately have one for breakfast with a boiled egg or yogurt.

 

The local salmon and halibut are in season, and peach salsa goes so well with them. Just peach, red pepper, sweet onion, a bit of hot pepper, maybe garlic, lime juice. If we have some left over, it can be a substitute for relish on a burger. I also like peaches cooked with pork chops or grilled and served with ice cream. 

 

One of my current fave salads is sliced peaches and golden beets with red pepper and sweet onion and goat cheese and a citrus dressing. 

 

For some reason, I haven't made a peach cobbler (with pecans, mmm!) or pie for a couple of years. I might have to rectify that! 

I love your micro-batch peach jam idea.  I'm stealing it!

 

My Grammy and Great-Grandma made tons and tons of jelly and jam....I, sadly, have not.  I think the reason is that I don't get a lot of great fruit around here.  Grammy always picked berries up in the mountains.... The only thing I make a lot of is apple butter.  

 

I'm looking through my blog now to see if I took pics of my canning area.  I think I did.  I had such a blast doing that blog....I want to do another one.....

 

EDITED

 

found it

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/136293-eg-foodblog-shelby-2011-from-the-field-to-the-table-warning-pi/?p=1778920

 

Now, I'll stop derailing this thread.  I need to start my peach pie.  

Edited August 19, 2014 by Shelby (log)

[FauxPas]

Shelby, yes please! Do another blog, we would love to read about further adventures. And see the kitties! If you do one, I will try and do one later this year. 

 

The micro-batch stuff works really well for us and it's a great way to use up bits of fruit that you know you probably won't get around to eating before they lose their shine. It's so quick and you don't need to prep jars, prepare a canner or any of that stuff. I usually make a cup or less of finished jam as anything else is way too much for us to finish off in a reasonable time.

 

I don't use a saucepan with a high side, I use a skillet or something with low sides as that facilitates evaporation and the fruit will thicken quicker. I can tell when the texture changes enough and it will form a gel just by stirring so don't even bother with the cold saucer test or anything either. It takes about 10 minutes, maybe 15 for the entire process. 

 

Here are some pics. First is apricot, but very similar to peaches. This is more of a spread than a jam but I wanted that really fresh flavour and didn't want to overcook it. I think I only used 3 or 4 apricots. 

 

 

Here's a raspberry one, with a firmer set. 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

I'm going to make some peach jam, too, in a bit.  You've inspired me!

 

I do have a lot going on that might be fun to blog about....pickles...canning etc.  I'll think on it.....

[Shelby]

I chickened out on the pie crust and made a crisp instead.  These peaches are super good.  I still want a pie, though.....

 

 

Jam to be made in a bit

[LizD518]

I'm going to an outdoor picnic event tomorrow night and I am thinking of peach / apricot hand pies since I have puff pastry in my fridge.  I want to incorporate a bit of rosemary or thyme in there too.  Should I cook the filling beforehand, or just put it into the pastry uncooked?

[suzilightning]

Well the white donut peaches have already gone.  I used the ones I got to make peach kucken.  Now have white peaches ripening in a bag for a peach and raspberry clafouti.

[Dejah]

Just picked up a case of freestone peaches! Apricots are nearly done but the peaches are still too green to can. I'll freeze the apricots, then maybe next week, I'll be making peach/apricot/pineapple conserve ala hubby's Nanna's recipe.

[Shelby]

I'm going to an outdoor picnic event tomorrow night and I am thinking of peach / apricot hand pies since I have puff pastry in my fridge.  I want to incorporate a bit of rosemary or thyme in there too.  Should I cook the filling beforehand, or just put it into the pastry uncooked?

Since no one else has answered you, I will tell you what I would do.....but trust me, I'm no baker lol.  I would cook the filling a bit first to make sure it's thick enough and to get more of the rosemary or thyme flavor going.

[gfweb]

I made a peach meatloaf tonight. Peaches inside, soy-soaked peach slices caramelized on top.  Might sound foul, but turned out very tasty indeed.

[FauxPas]

I'm going to an outdoor picnic event tomorrow night and I am thinking of peach / apricot hand pies since I have puff pastry in my fridge.  I want to incorporate a bit of rosemary or thyme in there too.  Should I cook the filling beforehand, or just put it into the pastry uncooked?

 

Shelby makes a good point about getting the herbal flavours. You probably would get a better answer on one of the dessert or baking threads, but I think you can go either way. It depends on how you want to shape your pastry - if you want the fold-over type of hand pie, you'd put the filling in before cooking but if you want a tart-shaped one (put the pastry into muffin tins, for example) you could cook it in the pastry or before. You might be able to have crispier or higher pastry by cooking it first and adding the filling later, if that is important to you. 

[Shelby]

Canned about 70 peaches yesterday which made 9 quarts and 2 quarts of the most lovely juice.  I'm dying to get some champagne and mix the juice in (drool).

 

 

 

 

 

This was my first time canning peaches.  A bit more work than tomatoes, but just as rewarding

[Smithy]

Shelby, that looks so luscious I can almost smell it from here.  Do you know what variety of peach that is?  They look as though they're dead-ripe, at the peak of perfection.

[Shelby]

Shelby, that looks so luscious I can almost smell it from here.  Do you know what variety of peach that is?  They look as though they're dead-ripe, at the peak of perfection.

They are from Palisade, Colorado.  We've always just called them Palisade peaches....but there might be another name for them.  Truly, they are the best peaches I've ever had.

[MelissaH]

Shelby, those are the peaches we always also call Palisade peaches (or apricots, or other fruit), named after the place they're grown. Just like the sweet corn we'd get is Olathe sweet corn. I wonder if this is a Western Slope phenomenon?

[Shelby]

Shelby, those are the peaches we always also call Palisade peaches (or apricots, or other fruit), named after the place they're grown. Just like the sweet corn we'd get is Olathe sweet corn. I wonder if this is a Western Slope phenomenon?

It must be!   Ohhhh Olathe sweet corn *swoon*.  My husband loves a good ear of corn.  Wish I could get my hands on some of those......  

 

 

 

 

I only have six more peaches after this one       

 

[gfweb]

Our trees have given out. 330 days till more peaches

[ElsieD]

I am picking up some peaches at the market on Saturday. I am pre-ordering them as I want "seconds" because that way I know that they will be perfectly ripe and juicy. I have ordered "seconds" from these same fruit farmers before and they are of excellent quality with very little waste. I would like to freeze them. And so, I have a few questions. Is it necessary to blanch them before freezing? Can I simply cut them in half, remove the pit and freeze them with the skin on? I know with tomatoes the skin slips right off when they thaw but I don't know if the same thing applies to peaches. Should sugar be added to them when freezing?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

[Dejah]

Shelby: Think I may have mentioned this to you before about pie pastry. If you have a food processor, try the recipe: Google Flakey Pie Pastry Bon Appétit  | June 2000 V.

I had a hard time making consistent pastry until I found this recipe. It never fails!
I SO want you to have your peach pie!

 

I need to go and pick up a second case of B.C. freestones (for canning)  as we have eaten much of the first case out-of-hand  

[Smithy]

I wish I could trust the cases of "Colorado Peaches" presently in our grocery store. They don't have a bit of peach smell, and they're so hard and green I fear they were picked too early. This situation hasn't applied every year. As it happens, we'll be near Steamboat Springs this weekend. Maybe some enterprising person will have a 'farm stand' based out of their truck. Last year I really scored on the way through Grand Junction - admittedly, closer to the produce than Steamboat.

[Shelby]

I am picking up some peaches at the market on Saturday. I am pre-ordering them as I want "seconds" because that way I know that they will be perfectly ripe and juicy. I have ordered "seconds" from these same fruit farmers before and they are of excellent quality with very little waste. I would like to freeze them. And so, I have a few questions. Is it necessary to blanch them before freezing? Can I simply cut them in half, remove the pit and freeze them with the skin on? I know with tomatoes the skin slips right off when they thaw but I don't know if the same thing applies to peaches. Should sugar be added to them when freezing?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

I think leaving the skin on is up to you.  It won't hurt to freeze them like that, but it will probably get "mushy" and slide off.  Personally, I'd peel them.  I would skip the sugar, but I'd add some Fruit Fresh.  

Shelby: Think I may have mentioned this to you before about pie pastry. If you have a food processor, try the recipe: Google Flakey Pie Pastry Bon Appétit  | June 2000 V.

I had a hard time making consistent pastry until I found this recipe. It never fails!

I SO want you to have your peach pie!

 

I need to go and pick up a second case of B.C. freestones (for canning)  as we have eaten much of the first case out-of-hand  

Thank you for the pie crust recipe!  I swear I'm going to try.  First I need more peaches

 

I wish I could trust the cases of "Colorado Peaches" presently in our grocery store. They don't have a bit of peach smell, and they're so hard and green I fear they were picked too early. This situation hasn't applied every year. As it happens, we'll be near Steamboat Springs this weekend. Maybe some enterprising person will have a 'farm stand' based out of their truck. Last year I really scored on the way through Grand Junction - admittedly, closer to the produce than Steamboat.

Ugh, I hate when they pick perfectly good fruit too early just to ship it.  It's never good that way.  Ohhhh, I know exactly where you stopped in GJ (I've been through GJ probably 100 times in my life to and from my mom's house).  It is a great stand with wonderful produce.  

[rosik929]

Peaches with tarragon, honey, and some whipped cream are a wonderful dessert; I had never tried this combination before, but it really was amazing. I had never known that this herb could bring out the peach flavor so well.  Lightly roast the peach with some honey and tarragon sprinkled on top (do not try to grill them), and serve with a spoonful of whipped cream. 

[Shelby]

I think leaving the skin on is up to you.  It won't hurt to freeze them like that, but it will probably get "mushy" and slide off.  Personally, I'd peel them.  I would skip the sugar, but I'd add some Fruit Fresh.  

Thank you for the pie crust recipe!  I swear I'm going to try.  First I need more peaches

 

Ugh, I hate when they pick perfectly good fruit too early just to ship it.  It's never good that way.  Ohhhh, I know exactly where you stopped in GJ (I've been through GJ probably 100 times in my life to and from my mom's house).  It is a great stand with wonderful produce.  

I lost my mind yesterday, Smithy.  I am thinking of a great stand in La Junta...not GJ       

 

Rosik, that dessert sounds wonderful.  I have a lavender honey that might go well, too.