I've been blessed with a lot of peaches this week from a neighbor. I have been working the last 3 nights on doing something yummy with them.
Monday nights work: 3 cookie sheets full of peach halves for smoothies. I freeze them that way and then transfer them to a ziploc bag so they will not be all stuck together and I can take what I want easily.
Tuesday Nights work: 13 containers of our families favorite peach recipe: a frozen concoction of peach slices, lemon juice, OJ & crushed pineapple. We eat it just slightly thawed, enough to get our spoon in!
Last night: Two batches of Peach jam. I ended up with 11 jars : assorted sizes from pint down to little half cup jelly jars. I also have about a half cup from each batch in the fridge because I wanted to make sure each batch set up and was tasty. Just in case I ever wanted to give a jar away, I could have faith in it's leaving a decent impression of my culinary skills. Carly came upstairs to get a Benadryl just as I was about to taste the sample from the first batch. We both tasted and after several spoonfuls each (we needed to be sure) we decided it was divine.
One dozen peach puree/vanilla yogurt popsicles. I have some of those little popsicle molds anyway and a peach ad popped up yesterday (what a coincidence) on some online page with a peach popsicle recipe so I had to try it. I was going to surprise the kids for breakfast but shockingly, I overslept this morning (after pulling 3 til midnight or later nights and getting up at 5am to walk w/Mark each morning) and was in a bit of a rush and forgot all about them. I guess they'll be after school treats or I'll save them for tomorrow. A Happy Friday breakfast.
I've also canned 28 quarts of apricots in the last few weeks and I'm sad I didn't get any more apricot jam put up. We only have 3 little jars left from last year. I just didn't get to it. I had it on my to do list for several days but by the time I found time..... The apricots left on the tree are pretty shriveled. Next year I'll do jam first.
I don't do a lot of canning. Mostly just apricots every year but I like the way it feels when I look at those jars sitting there, lined up, preserved, when I'm done. When you mop the floor it doesn't stay clean long, same thing with the countertop, dishes, bathrooms, etc. There's nothing you can do about it. It's life. It's family. Canning is a more tangible accomplishment. The kids always want to open a jar right away of whatever I've done and I refuse. I won't let anyone have any of the "fruits of my labor" for at least a month. Am I a control freak or do I just want something I've accomplished to stay that way for a while. I'm hoping it's the second reason. It would make me feel better if it is the second reason. I'm just sure it's the second reason!!!!!!
7 comments:
Well, get down with your peach preserving self! I'm so impressed, and wish I lived down the street so I could mooch.
I know!!!!!we long for the days when you lived nearby in your house of straw.
Mmmm . . . peaches.
You are my hero.
Oh, and my friend said she'd know by Friday if she needs a ride. Thanks for everything!
WOW! That is a TON of work. I am impressed! My mom used to make that frozen peach stuff and it was SOOOO delicious on cold winter Sundays.
I used to try to can stuff. But I honestly just don't trust my culinary skills enough to think that I did it right---the few times I did it, we never actually ATE any of it because I was afraid I messed up the pressure-cooker thing and everyone would die horrible deaths. About a year ago I decided to get rid of all the empty jars I had in my storage room. We gave them all to the Kratzers, and now they bring us a bottle or two of what they put up. Funny that I can trust other people to get the pressure-cooker-thing right, just not myself.
Anyway! I am proud of you. You deserve a pedicure or something for all your hard work!
guess what amy... I've never used a pressure canner. I have one from my mom that needs to be checked by the extension service (is that what it's called?) I have used a pressure cooker to make beans and I need to learn how to use it for more things but... another day.. anyway, I have a steam canner and it is good for fruits only I think but it's awesome, so simple to use and I've only had one jar break and every once in a while I have a jar that doesn't seal but I just give it another go in the steam canner and it seals fine. Jam you can just set upside down after hotpacking it and it will seal. I do the easy stuff!!!!
yes, Jamie, We can see you only do the "easy" stuff!
It looks like you have a lot there. You should bring some to my house, ha ha ha. Looks great!
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