Peaches

We bought 1-1/2 bushels of peaches on Wednesday at the market. I managed to get 12 quarts of peaches canned, two peach pies for the freezer and one for now, and some peach cobbler. Oh, and four peach dumplings. I make peach dumplings the same way as my apple dumplings, except I don't add raisins (I like to put a mixture of raisins and toasted chopped pecans into the core of my apples when I make apple dumplings). Some of the peaches were way too soft for me to feel comfortable trying to can. 12 quarts of peaches are better than nothing and Rick will like having them in his lunch this winter....at least I hope he will. I have barely enough left to make two peaches-and-cream pies on Saturday. Rick's mom asked me if I was making peaches-and-cream pies and asked if I'd make one for them, too.

Rick texted me from bowling last night and asked me how the Peach Business was going. I told him to go away and leave me alone. I was busy. I didn't think I was ever going to get done!

Oh, my aching wrist....
PS: Smoothies!

12 quarts sounds like a lot to me!!  And that sounds like A LOT of work; especially for someone with a full time day job!  But you'll certainly reap the rewards this winter!

Out of curiosity; how do you wrap your pies for freezing?  And stack them without crushing?  I remember that my Grandmother would freeze pies (she had the golden touch with pies!) but they had a stand up freezer so I don't know if keeping the tops in tact was ever an issue for her.

Oh yummy.

I have a great recipe for you, sounds kind of unusual but OH SO GOOD.  I get compliments every time I make it.

Use peaches that are at their peak of ripeness.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/arugula-and-peach-salad-with-creamy-chive-vinaigrette

Oh wow, that does sound (and look!) good! Thanks! Copied and pasted!

MoochNNoodles said:

 
12 quarts sounds like a lot to me!!  And that sounds like A LOT of work; especially for someone with a full time day job!  But you'll certainly reap the rewards this winter!

Out of curiosity; how do you wrap your pies for freezing?  And stack them without crushing?  I remember that my Grandmother would freeze pies (she had the golden touch with pies!) but they had a stand up freezer so I don't know if keeping the tops in tact was ever an issue for her.

Click to expand...

I par-bake my pies, meaning I bake them for only half the time the recipe states. I cool them down on wire racks, then put them in our upright freezer. No wrapping. For about two hours or so. Then I wrap them in plastic wrap. Then in foil. If you can find the large freezer bags (not Ziploc because they're not big enough) with a twist-tie, then you can put them in those bags. I have a hard time finding them now; they used to be made by Baggie and they were big enough for  a well-wrapped 9-inch pie in a pie pan. Once they are well-wrapped and completely frozen, then I will stack them, but not until then. They need to be really well-wrapped and maybe I go overboard. (And don't forget to label! One time, I gave my brother one of my apple pies, but it had raisins and pecans in it and my brother hates raisins and pecans. It was a caramel apple pie and he didn't like caramel either. He has never let me forget it. Label your pies!) When you take the pie out of the freezer, put it in a warmed oven, cover it with foil, and bake until it's done.

Years ago, I used to have 40 pies in the freezer by the end of summer. I started with cherries from my sister's cherry tree. Then I went to peaches, then I went to apples. Mom and Rick's Mom would come down to help me. I had the pie crust crumbs all made the night before and the next morning all I had to do was combine my vinegar, egg and water and mix it into the bowls of pastry crumbs. I rolled the dough out, the mothers cleaned and peeled or pitted whatever fruit I was using at the time and we'd start in. The entire day was spent making pies. The mothers took pies home, too. And then every Sunday, the guys could pick a pie out and we'd have it for dessert. In between those pies, I made chocolate cream pies, lemon meringue pies, peanut butter pies, etc. And come fall, we had a lot of pumpkin pies. My mother-in-law was determined to make sure I know how to roll out pie dough. I was always responsible for the pies in the family.

I also won an apple pie contest at work years ago. First prize was a gift certificate to a local mall.

I don't know how I found the time to do half of what I did back then. Today? No way. I'd be half-dead by noon!