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OT: Peaches. What to do with them?

Have you ever had a neighbor that grows fruit trees but doesn't eat them? I do. There are so many peaches on the neighbor's peach tree that the branches have semi-snapped.

These pictures are just some of the peaches I picked today that came over to my side. Can you believe that whenever the peaches get loaded, the neighbor has their gardener chain saw down almost all the branches. It's a sad event and these are the peaches the day before they saw it down tomorrow

The bowl are separated by almost ripe, just blushed and green peaches.

I don't do canning but have always wanted to make green peach pie.

What other suggestions or recipes might you have?

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What's the address? Lol

I think the best would be to can them

Yes can them. Then make
Pies, jam, cobbler, and wine with the,frwsh ones.

spiced pickled peaches are amazing. vanilla bean, star anise, sugar, vinegar, etc. 

peaches with mozzarella, soft herbs (basil, chervil, or mint), and black pepper is another favorite. Pretty good as crostini.

pork and peaches (braised, grilled, roasted) / peach based bbq sauce

grilled peaches served with ice cream or whipped cream, nuts, crushed amaretti cookies

raw vegan cakes (peach puree with coconut butter and cashews or macadamia nuts would be very nice)

peach compote for regular cakes. alternatively, raw peaches tossed with lemon or rose water and served with various desserts. 

peach in salads or sushi

hmm... 


I like to peel peaches then freeze them for baking. If you quarter them they remain pretty big for cobbler or cakes. Just peel, cut, and put into freezer bags in 2-cup portions.

I don't can because I don't want to get all the supplies. These are small sized peaches. These are good suggestions and will try a lot of them. Never had pickled peaches. I wonder if you can fry green peaches like green tomatoes. Most of these are underripe. The haul I got is just maybe 2% of the fruit on the tree. The birds are all over it. I really don't know why someone would grow this yet cut it down every year.,

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  • Sas

1 Kilo of peach fruit
1/2 kilo of sugar
1 Lemon juiced

Wash, then peel , then cut In large pieces and remove seeds. In a pot add sugar then bring to boil on low while stirring carefully until the sugar melts.
(Try not to mash the pieces while stirring).
Then when the sugar melts, raise heat to medium then add lemon juice.
Skim the white layer on to as it forms while boiling
Leave on medium until it firms up a little.
If no canning, put in a regular jar then fridge for up to a month. You might like the jam.




  • Rob

If you have space in your freezer, or better yet an additional freezer for meat or fish or whatever, you can make freezer jam.  We used to do it with wild blackberries that grew where I lived as a child. 

If you don't know about freezer jam, it has some pros and cons vs traditional canned jam or jelly:

Pros:
1. Don't need all that canning equipment
2. Don't have to heat to high temperatures so more flavor is preserved
3. Can use any container you have lying around

Cons:
1. Have to have space in a freezer.
2. Probably doesn't last as long as canned jam.  Probably lasts 6 months to a year at best.  Not an issue if you eat it fairly quickly.
3. Have to take it out of freezer and put in fridge for a couple hours before you use it (not really a big deal).

I would try a dehydrator...just a thought.

I would second the freezer jam if you don't want to do canning.  It also tastes fresher and is quite quick to make.  Great on biscuits (US style), toast and/or English muffins.

Peaches sliced and added between layers of a cake is lovely, too. You can do with or without frosting in the center of the layers, and of course some dipped in lemon on the top of the cake.

Peaches prepared for pie can be frozen and then be available for winter pies when you'd really appreciate the flavor of peach pie.  Just have your sliced fruit ready, bag in 4-5 cup bags.  You'll add your sugar and  some tapioca (small) pre-cook the fruit with sugar and thickner, then put in crust and bake. 

Hope this helps.



Thanks. Never heard of freezer jam. I think I'll prepare like for pie and have them ready in the fridge.

The neighbor decided not to cut down the branches yet so I can snag some more near our fence.

Fruit leather is another idea.  Cook with scant sugar, puree and then put in a dehydrator to dry until no longer tacky but not dry enough to crack.  No dehydrator, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour a layer 1/4" thick and set your oven to 145 degrees.  Dry for about 5-6 hours. Cut into serving sizes and roll in parchment paper.  Store fruit roll ups in a glass bottle.

You can make peach salsa. Chop the peeled peaches and mix with chopped red onion, tiny bit of minced garlic, cilantro and lime juice.

Mango Peach Chutney is very nice too. Very nice with curries.

I was just using my Mom's trick for super easy peeling of peaches. Fill a big pot with water bring to a boil. Fill a big bowl with peaches. Cover peaches with boiling water. Let sit 5 minutes. Thin slip the skins off so easy. I just picked 3 huge boxes of peaches from my friends tree. Slipping the skins w the boiling water. Making cobblers, freezer bags full for smoothies, etc. Halleluja for the bounty of wonderful plants. ;-)

I tried the boiling of the peaches but it didn't work. I ended up just cutting the flesh with the skin and putting it in with the skin on. Since the peaches were young, I think the skins were thin and not as tough and fuzzy. They tasted really good in the cobbler.

I can recommend music to listen to while you preserve/use them in the fashion you decide:


enjoy!

Depending on the variety some of the underripe peaches may improve on the counter. I pick them a little early otherwise the birds get them all.

This year I froze them in chunks to use in smoothies and also probably served warm with vanilla ice cream. If they are freestone even better, scoop them out of the wash water and just mangle the pits out and pop them in the freezer bag.

edit: I am far too lazy to peel anything with edible skin. I say, just leave it.

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