Peaches

This information evolved from a PM from Bill/SFNM who wanted peach pie recipes. I am providing information on my peach preservation methods. I welcome anyone to provide their ideas for peach sources or recipes to continue this thread.

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I don't have a peach tree or a friend who is just overwhelmed and begs me to take them off their hands. For northern Illinois, peaches are not a cash crop because they blossom early when we are likely to have frost. So those who own peach trees on their property have it hit or miss when it comes to yearly fruiting. So I have to buy peaches, which is not very cheap even when purchased by the bushel. When they are so precious, I also have a problem justifying making anything but lovely peach halves or slices.

For basic peach preparation, I refer you to the National Center for Food Preservation, which is an excellent resource. It also may not be funded any longer, so use it while you can because once the information is dated they plan to close the site:

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_02/peach_sliced.html

You have choices when it comes to which level of sugar syrup you will want to prepare. Initially, in a moment of dietary frugality, I used the light syrup. I didn't like the results. In store-bought canned peaches, I'd eat the peaches and drink the contents of the can. Well, light syrup is so lite there is no pleasure in it. I have started to make the syrup between medium and heavy, which makes it quite drinkable!

I have developed a scheme to make peach jams and pie fillings without sacrificing my expensive beauties. I call my Michigan fruit vendor and ask him to put aside 'yucky' peaches for me. These are the bruised fruits he cannot otherwise sell. Yes, there is a lot of waste but I am also paying $8 for a bushel. These peaches look like tattered bits once I am finished trimming the bad bits away. Perfect for jams. Perfect for pies.

At the recommendation of someone I know who grew up in Iowa, I have a small collection of Farm Journal cookbooks. The following peach pie filling is an adaptation from Freezing and Canning Cookbook Prized recipes from the Farms of America by the food editors of Farm Journal:

Peach Pie Filling

4 quarts peeled, sliced peaches (9 pounds)
1-teaspoon ascorbic acid
1-gallon water
3-1/2 cup sugar
? cup plus 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca*
? cup lemon juice
1-teaspoon salt

Dissolve ascorbic acid (Vitamin C or Fruit Fresh will do) into the water.

Blanch and peel peaches, then cut into slices. As you accumulate a quart of sliced peaches, dump them into the prepared water. The ascorbic acid will retard the peaches inclination to darken. Once all the peaches are in the water, then swish them around to make sure they all have contact with the ascorbic acid. Drain. (I use very large stainless steel pans and colanders for this project)

Combine peaches, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and salt.

For freezing, I use the Ziploc 1 quart freezer bags, which I fill using my wide mouth canning funnel inserted into the bag. I do this because any other way the grooves of the zip system get gummed up and compromised. I measure out the filling into 1-quart increments and divvy up what remains between the four unless I think I can get a 5th quart or even a pint bag. I lay these flat on a jellyroll or cookie sheet pan and freeze them. Later, I will stack wherever it is convenient.

*Tapioca - I will put this through my coffee grinder to get to a finer powder. Or if I have pearls and don't want to run to the store, then they are ground also.

Later when I make the pies, I will adjust seasonings, maybe add cinnamon, usually more sugar. For the initial phase, I like to keep it plain Jane to allow me to shift directions anyway I please when I go to use it.

This is a recipe I got from Cook's Illustrated years ago. This is an outstaning cobbler. I usually double the dough. This came in second in a dessert contest at the State of Michigan BBQ Championship a few years ago. Other fruits can be substituted, i.e. apples, necatarinces, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc.

Butter Cookie Dough Cobbler--Peach

Dough
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
8 tablespoon unsalted butter; softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 large egg; or one yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit Filling
1 3/4 lbs peaches; peeled, pitted & sliced t
2 teaspoon corn starch
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract; optional
pinch cloves; optional

Dough
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl and set aside
Beat butter and sugar until well blended.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Add flour mixture; stir until just combined.

Fruit Filling
Toss to coat peaches, cornstarch, sugar, and any optional ingredient.

Drop dough onto prepared fruit by heaping tablespoons.

Bake @ 375 for 45-55 minutes.

This recipe is for a 8" square or 9" round baking pan. May easily be
doubled for a13x9 inch pan.

The critical question is: Where do you find good peaches?

I found some decent fruit at Woodman's Market but most of the time the peaches I see are hard, unripe and scentless -- and they don't ripen once you get them home, they just rot.

Southwest Michigan has some places that have good peaches. I usually buy some at our local Farmer's Market in South Bend. However, this year I beat the fungus on my peach trees and we are beginning to get some great peaches. Particulary the White Lady.

Cathy,

Do you blanch and peel when doing large quantity?

Do you blanch and peel when doing large quantity?

Yikes, I forgot to mention something, didn't I? I certainly do blanch and peel. I will update my peach pie recipe to reflect it, thanks!

Years ago my Grandfather won a fryer/slow cooker at some Senior Citizens Wing Ding. He had no interest in it and gave it to me. It sat for years on a shelf until I took up canning. I set it up for the maximum heat to the left of my kitchen sink, then dump the hot peaches (or tomatoes) into the cold water to shock them and loosen the skin. This is pretty efficient however I don't have the benefit of my stove ventillation system to whisk the steamed heat away. Ah the sacrifices I forget about when eating darn good peaches in mid-winter.

BTW Evil, would you do something else? Is there a trick you can convey?

Thanks in advance!

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Erik M, Zim, Rene G and I were strolling and window shopping various stores along Lawrence and Kedzie this afternoon. On the street on Kedzie, just north of Lawrence, was a truck selling various fruits. They had half bushels of very golden peaches for $18, which from my light touch examination were ready for immediate consumption or canning. If you wanted a full bushel, the price was $36. I did not know the variety of peach nor could anyone answer if they were cling free. Cling free is when the flesh lifts away easy from the stone, it is a neater appearance as well as less time consuming to work with.

As tempting as those peaches were, I also knew I had commitments for my time. And these peaches were in the immediate process or die mode, which I didn't want hanging over me. I hope I won't regret my decision.

At two different locations in that area, I found trucks laden with watermelons selling 2 for $5 and $6, which are really decent prices.

Cathy,

I'm not aware of any shortcut. Just rolling up one's sleeves.

The Chicago and Evanston farmers markets have a fair number of Michigan fruit growers. I am sure that most of the other suburban markets also have Michigan fruit growers. The supply of Michigan fruit seems to be better in the Chicago area than in southwestern Michigan. Don't buy Michigan peaches at a chain supermarket and expect the same quality. Their peaches have to be picked somewhat earlier to stand up through the warehouse system and rough handling in most stores.

Red Havens, IMO the best quality peach in the Midwest, were plentiful at the two farmers markets we visited Saturday (North Center and Evanston). The Red Haven season isn't very long, so get them soon. As with other Michigan fruit this year, starting and ending dates are running 10 days earlier than normal.

My mother's Jersey Peach Pie recipe. Distinctive for using peach halves instead of slices. Delicious for the most minimal additions to the fresh peach flavor.

Jersey Peach Pie

6 medium peaches, blanched, peeled, cut in half
1/4 scant cup butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
4 T. water
nutmeg

1 deep dish pie crust (my mother makes her own: not me)


crumb butter, sugar, flour
sprinkle 1/2 of the crumbs in the bottom on the pie crust
lay, cut side down, peeled peach halves
sprinkle lightly with nutmeg and water
sprinkle remaining crumbs on top

Bake 325 30-40 min.

You know, at the Thai Aree dinner I was mentioning that locak (i.e., Michigan) peaches have been pretty weak this year, and to my delight, Ann Fisher confirmed my experience saying it was just not a good year for peaches. What she said made a lot of sense, especially given how much regard "years" matter in another fruit, grapes.

Still, yesterday I had some peaches purchased at the Michigan City Farmer's Market, and these were just amazing, just amazing. So at least some good peaches are out there this year, just might take some work to get them. Of course, different species of peach come to the market at various points in the summer, and maybe the year has just been better for some kinds of peaches than other.

Rob

Hi,

Two or three years ago, I drove through Georgia in late May-early June. I visited a large Peach packing house, where they had a continuous in flow of peaches from late April until August as various varieties ripened.

Last Tuesday, I phoned my Michigan peach source to see if I could get my yucky peaches. He said they are just beginning and all he has received have been under riped. He felt peak season was maybe 1-2 weeks away, then I could get all the yucky peaches I wanted.

Peach ice has not yet arrived to Marios. According to Erik this does happen until the owner decides the price is right. Fresh fruits are cheap when they are ripe and plentiful. We just are not there yet.

Vital Information wrote: I was mentioning that local (i.e., Michigan) peaches have been pretty weak this year, and to my delight, Ann Fisher confirmed my experience saying it was just not a good year for peaches. What she said made a lot of sense, especially given how much regard "years" matter in another fruit, grapes.

I think you're quoting me correctly on the main thesis, but wrong on the details. I think I said it was a mediocre year for strawberries and but a pretty good year for Michigan apricots. Cathy2 convinced me that it's too early yet to tell for peaches and I'm delighted to hear that there are some good ones coming in.

Erik M, Zim, Rene G and I were strolling and window shopping various stores along Lawrence and Kedzie this afternoon. On the street on Kedzie, just north of Lawrence, was a truck selling various fruits. They had half bushels of very golden peaches for $18

Cathy

I bought a rather large quater bushel off the same truck last week for $7.00. They were definatly ripe and ready.Really good!! but not cling free.

John

Hi,

I just received a full bushel from downstate Illinois, cling free, I don't know the variety for $30 a bushel. My family has been snacking on them all day. They are delicious!

Regards,

If you miss a farmer's market, and live in Lake County, Quig's in Mundelein has great peaches every day (in season). Their peaches are from a farmer(s) in SW Michigan. They are always ready to eat; not picked like a rock and requiring a week to ripen. I have noticed that this year they did not seem as good as years past. They are also pretty expensive, although I don't remember the exact price.

Quig's is an apple orchard, bakery, restaurant, and country store. If you are a donut fan, don't miss the cinnamon donuts. They use apple cider in the batter and they are the best donut I've ever had.

Quig's
300 S. Rt. 60/83
(1/4 Mile N.W. of Midlothian Rd.)
Mundelein, Illinois, 60060
847.566.4520

Vital Information wrote:You know, at the Thai Aree dinner I was mentioning that locak (i.e., Michigan) peaches have been pretty weak this year, and to my delight, Ann Fisher confirmed my experience saying it was just not a good year for peaches. What she said made a lot of sense, especially given how much regard "years" matter in another fruit, grapes.

Still, yesterday I had some peaches purchased at the Michigan City Farmer's Market, and these were just amazing, just amazing. So at least some good peaches are out there this year, just might take some work to get them. Of course, different species of peach come to the market at various points in the summer, and maybe the year has just been better for some kinds of peaches than other.

Rob

Report from Texas:
The peaches are ripe and fragrent here. I don't have the facilities to do anything but eat them in their natural state, but the one I had the other day was jucy, delicious and at its peak. It was purchased at aTom Thumb store (Safeway). I can only imagine what the ones at the local Farmers Market are like.

I was fortunate enough to get a taste of Cathy's peaches, and they were delicious. If I recall correctly, these were Illinois peaches, which means they may well be from Calhoun County, where the Illinois and Mississippi rivers meet, or nearby Union County, where a Peach Festival is held in Cobden each year.

A few years ago I had the fortune to be in Calhoun County at the right time of year, early August, and besides loading up on cheap, ripe, juicy peaches that burst with flavor, I also attended a church picnic, probably at St. Barbara's in Batchtown, where fresh-made peach cobbler and turtle soup were on offer. Could have been St. Mary's in Brussels, too. In any event, I continue to plot a return trip, it is just such a long drive - almost 300 miles. But it is a worthwhile destination, and I will go back.

LAZ wrote:The critical question is: Where do you find good peaches?

I found some decent fruit at Woodman's Market but most of the time the peaches I see are hard, unripe and scentless -- and they don't ripen once you get them home, they just rot.

What is it with peaches? Why DO they just rot without ripening?
Is it just because they're picked so green? Or does the Peach Growers Council really expect them to ripen & be edible by consumers?

Peaches do not ripen off the tree. If picked ripe, they are very perishable and extremely vulnerable to bad handling. Quoting Mick Klug on Tuesday: "Peaches must be picked at the last minute." Several other growers, but not all, follow the same practice for farmers markets. Mick sells at several Chicago markets including Lincoln Square on Tuesdays and Lincoln Park on Saturday.

Your are unlikely to get a good peach at any supermarket that does not get delvery direct from the grower. If peaches have to go through a warehouse or wholesaler, they almost have to be picked somewhat green.

I've been watching the BBQU marathon on WYCC.Steve Raichlen was making grilled peaches.Anyone tried this?If so what did you think?How would you make it?I think he used a cinnamon stick,butter,bourbon and Grand Marnier.

I don't know how well this note fits this thread but it probably goes here better than most other places...

Something my grandfather and father always did and I do now and again with peaches that are okay but not great (i.e., a little hard, not really sweet)...

On Sunday mornings in the summer we would take a few of these peaches, cut them up, put them in a carafe and fill it with an okay (not great) red wine. Put the stuff in the fridge and let it sit for a few hours until it would be time for the Sunday midday meal. You drink the wine with the meal and at the conclusion of the second course, eat the peaches. The peaches will tend to sweeten the wine slightly and are themselves in turn given a nice flavour and are softened up by sitting in the wine.

With really good ripe peaches we would never do this, in part because there are other nice things to do with peaches and in part because a really ripe peach would get too mushy in the wine. As I said, this is an old Italian way to use up and improve peaches that aren't perfect.

Antonius

Resurrecting an old thread... I have two quarts left from just over 6 pounds of bruised (but oh so ripe and delicious) peaches I got free for the asking at the farmer's market on thursday ("those? they're no good... you want them?" ). I made one batch of jam with the ones that were badly bruised, and planned to slice and can the rest in brandy syrup... but things happen, old friends were in town, and the poor things got half frozen in the top shelf of my fridge over the weekend. The first batch of jam has yet to set (i used slightly more fruit and less sugar than the recipe called for), and although I know it can take up to two weeks, I'm prepared to label those jars "peach dessert sauce" and try again for jam with a good gel. Any tips, Cathy2, others? Can I still can some as sliced fruit, or will the partial freezing have destroyed their texture?

Rule one in jam making: the ratio of fruit to sugar is critical.

I wait until Red Haven peaches are available before making jam. I have noticed that the Red Havens I get at farmers markets tend to have less acidity than is assumed in freezer jam recipes and so set rather thinly. Adding one teaspoon of citric acid to the sugar per batch prevents the problem. Adding enough additional lemon juice to get that amount of acidity would affect the taste. Just use the amount of lemon juice the jam recipe calls for.

Fruit for canning should be in top condition. Half-freezing has damaged texture. Poach lightly and enjoy within a week.

I like to use less sugar than called for. If you do that, you need pectin. I have successfully made some REALLY nice jams with pectin. I got it at Whole Foods, but I am sure you can find it elsewhere.

Ok, so the peach madness continues... after tossing out the last quart from last weeks big bag o' bruised peaches as too far gone (better suited for compost than jam), I showed up at the end of the farmer's market this week and got an ENORMOUS box of beautiful peaches for $6 from the Garwood Farms booth (where I am always amused to shop, as that was our family's nickname for our brady-bunch household and farm back in Arkansas- my dad's name being McGarrah and my stepmom's being Wood, hence, the Gar-Woods). Was up till 3 am last night freezing pesto and canning peaches... and at work at 7 am. Thank god for free espresso... Anyway, I haven't weighted the thing yet, but i'm guessing it's about a bushel of fruit, or at least 20-30 lbs. Enough to keep me busy for a bit, at any rate...

So, last night's batch was a trial run- after trimming any bruised bits, I sliced and packed the raw peaches into hot sterilized jars and poured over them a light syrup made from boiling water (4 cups?), sugar (1 cup?), a dash of cinnamon, juice and zest of 1 lemon, a tablespoon or three of raw honey, and a couple healthy shots of brandy. A swipe with a spatula to free any trapped air bubbles, wipe the rim of the jar, cap, and into the boiling water bath, where they processed for 20-22 minutes. My concern- when I removed the jars from the "canner" (aka- spaghetti pot), all the fruit in my carefully packed jars was floating at the top, with a good inch or two of liquid in the bottom. This is considered a flaw, correct? Will the fruit at the top discolor? How can I prevent this- do I need a heavier syrup? I'd like to keep it as light as possible...

Also, I'd like to try Cathy2's (Farm Journal's, that is...) pie filling recipe... I'm guessing this could be canned as well as frozen, although perhaps with some loss in quality/ discoloration- I just don't have the freezer space to spare. Where would I find the ascorbic acid listed- is this a drugstore item? I have a box of Emergen-C powder, which lists it as an ingredient... would this be an acceptable substitute (Although the fizzy vitamin taste is probably to be avoided, on second thought... perhaps small batch experimentation is in order)?

What about peach "applesauce", or peach butter? (I've got the late 90's alt-rock hit, "Peaches" playing in my head as I dream of ways to use these babies- "millions of peaches, peaches for me... millions of peaches, peaches for (almost) free...")

blueswench wrote:I've got the late 90's alt-rock hit, "Peaches" playing in my head as I dream of ways to use these babies- "millions of peaches, peaches for me... millions of peaches, peaches for (almost) free...")

What else is in the teaches of Peaches?

I buy Fruit Fresh at Dominicks and believe I've seen generic ascorbic acid there as well. Sometimes the hardware stores that sell canning supplies have it. The Jewel in my neighborhood has a surprizing (for a supermarket) variety of cannng stuff. It's the Jewel on St. Charles in Villa Park.

Diannie

I made a brandied, spiced peach butter a few years ago. It was phenomenal. I pureed some peaches (did not skin them) (after washing and trimming off where the dog had bitten them) added brandy, sugar, spices to taste, cooked down until thick, then canned as normal. Mmmmmmmm

To my taste, few flavor combinations are as successful as peach and almond. I once read in an ice cream making manual that peaches and almonds harmonize so well because peach pits have an almond-like taste. A recipe for peach ice cream in the manual called for heating the cream intended for peach ice cream with peach pits, thereby infusing the mixture with the flavor of the pits. Commercial peach ice creams use almond extract, I believe.

This recipe resulted from my obsession with Italian amaretti-stuffed baked peaches, which followed close on the heels of my former obsession, peach-heavy English trifle with cream sherry and almond macaroons. What's not to like about dessert for breakfast? Besides, there's no butter in this recipe, and only 1 egg. That makes it far, far, healthier than the ingredients of any store-bought muffin, I'd wager.

Peach-Almond Muffins

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup oil (I use safflower)
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup sugar (sic)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3 dried peaches (essential to success of recipe)
1-2 fresh peaches (depends on size)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Paper muffin cups

Preheated oven: 400 degrees

1. Partially rehydrate dried peaches in warm water. Drain, blot dry, and chop into fine pieces. (They should still have some heft to resist a knife slightly when chopped.)
2. Toast sliced almonds lightly in moderately hot oven. Do not burn.
3. Chop fresh peaches into very small pieces (some trial and error is involved here, but since the peaches are very juicy, large pieces will damage the texture of the muffins.
4. Mix egg, milk, oil, and almond extract in large measuring cup with fork to break up egg.
5. Combine in separate bowl, stirring together, sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour.
6. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients with a few swift strokes. Batter will be lumpy.
7. Mix together dried chopped peaches, toasted almonds, and chopped fresh peach or peaches to make about 1 cup of fruit/nut mixture.
8. Stir fruit and nut mixture into batter.
9. Fill 12 paper muffin cups just over 1/2 full.
10. Bake on center rack of preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, checking on progress. (What self-respecting obsessive would not check?)
11. Cool briefly and enjoy while warm.

i just came from the farmers market in wicker park where i bought some bruised peaches for 25 cents each (sidebar: i just found out my computer keyboard doesnt have a 'cents' sign. inflation has even affected the keyboard). my stomach cant take lots of fresh fruit, so i just cut them up, remove the bruised spots, put them in a glass lasagna sized pan with a sprinkle of brown sugar, a big splash of triple sec and the peel of an orange and microwave them for about 15 minutes, covered loosely with waxed paper (i've given up plastic wrap in the microwave). i dont know how long they might keep in the refrigerator as i'll eat them in a few days. delicious. i've been doing the same with the tasteless cherries i keep buying. cooking them concentrates the flavor. justjoan