Thursday, June 21, 2012

Peach Harvest


Due to a mild winter, our peach tree bloomed a couple of weeks early this year, so we have been harvesting peaches a few weeks earlier than usual.

One of our favorite ways to use our peach harvest is to can our own fruit cocktail.  I had hoped to make significantly more fruit cocktail this year than last year, but my kids and husband ate some of the organic fruit I bought before canning day, so I made nearly the same amount: three pint and a half jars plus 4 pint jars (17 cups) versus the eight pint jars I made last year (16 cups).


I used exactly the same fruits as last year: peaches from our tree, apples, and pears.  However, this year I forgot to add the lime juice, so we won’t try to save a jar to see how long it keeps (acidic environments are less likely to spoil).  We opened the final jar from last year a couple of weeks ago, and it was just as good as the day we made it.  I doubt this year’s jars will make it to fall.  My girls love our homemade fruit cocktail; maybe we’ll make some in winter with other fruits.

You can find the link to the fruit cocktail recipe, as well as the Peach Salsa and Peach Popsicles we made both this year and last year at this post.  I opted to puree all of the peaches for the popsicles, because the diced pieces were really hard to chew from last year’s batch.  That post also discusses the nutrients found in peaches.

I repeated a recipe from last year that I did not include in that post: Spiced Peaches by Dorothy from her blog Shockingly Delicious.  I like to call these sweet and sour peaches; however, they do not taste like the red stuff you will find in a Chinese restaurant.

I also made a great Peach Barbecue Sauce by Katie from So Tasty So Yummy that I served with her Chick-fil-a Chicken Nuggets.  Although I haven’t tried making variations of this sauce yet, I bet it would taste great even without the peach.  We have been eating this sauce with grilled meats and even with baked potatoes.

And, I made a version of Katie’s Peach Oat Muffins that I found highlighted on another blog through the Secret Recipe Club Dorothy and Katie both participate in.  Here is the other version.  I actually merged the two versions, but I'm sure these muffins will turn out great whichever recipe you use.  We definitely liked them.

Finally, I made a Peach Custard Pie using this Good Housekeeping recipe for Nectarines.  The custard part is really good, but we used the last of our crop and the peaches tasted sour.  I think this is because we harvested most of those peaches before they were ripe in order to keep the birds from getting them all!

If you have a favorite peach recipe, I hope you will share it; I am always looking for something new to try.

9 comments:

  1. You are awesome, Elisa!!! I do not a have a cooking talent. I'm okay, but I'd love to learn more! I'm enjoying all your posts! Thanks so much!!
    (I made bean brownies a few days ago! YUM!!)
    Please consider adding a post or two to my Tea with St Anne Link-up party. God Bless!

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  2. Thanks for sharing the fruit cocktail yesterday. It is delicious! I need to get started on making my own. Thank you for the inspiration to make healthier eating choices without too much work!

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  3. Best wishes to both of you as you prepare healthy meals; it really is not difficult, especially if you make one change at a time.

    Jennifer, I would like to know how to make bean brownies!

    Jen, let me know if you need help making your fruit cocktail.

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    1. There's nothing like good home grown food for a Catholic families!! Thanks for sharing this Elisa!! I'll get that bean brownie recipe for you. It was good, but after a few of my kids heard they were made with beans they refused to eat them! Next time I'll have to tell my oldest "not to spill the beans" pardon the pun! ;-) God Bless!

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  4. You are so lucky to harvest your own peaches and preserve them this way. Wow, so many recipes...we love fresh peaches too!! We usually get crates of peaches from Colorado and have a Peach day. I love canning them in quart jars so I can use them all year long in crisps and pies! Thank you for linking up with Farm FResh Friday!! Keep the freshness coming!!

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  5. You are a cooking dynamo! I think I would like to have you adopt me and my family so we can enjoy all your yummy recipes. Thank you for adding this to the Our Favorite Things link party.
    Have a great weekend.

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  6. Sall, I hope your Peach day yields plenty of jars for the coming year.

    Karri, I am in the habit of cooking nearly every day, which means I am constantly trying out new recipes. Most are edible, but only about half are keepers. Next time you are in Texas, I'll have your family over for dinner. :D

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  7. Thanks SO much for linking up with "Try a New Recipe Tuesday!" These look delicious! I can't wait to try them. I can't wait to see what you post this week. God bless, Lisa

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  8. Oh my! What an amazingly delicious post. Pinning this :)

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