A few weeks ago, my mother in law send Dustin home with about 60 heaping pounds of peaches they had harvested from their tree. My eyes boggled out of my head and then I praised the peach giving heavens because we had just opened our last bottle of Spiced Peach Jam. (I searched around for a recipe link that was similar to what I use, but came up with nothing, so I'll try to put together recipe download for you. This jam is not to be missed.)
After I replenished at least a years worth of Spiced Peach Jam, and then a second batch of Spiced Peach butter, (because I didn't have any pectin and it was 2 AM) I still had pounds and pounds of peaches. Huh. I've never done anything but the jam, so it was time for a little creativity.
We ended up with Jalapeno Peach Salsa (6 jars), Key Lime Peach Curd (9 jars), Lemon Peach Curd (9 jars, and my favorite!). Those curds are likely to find their way into our yearly family repertoire as they basically call for sugar, butter, fruit and eggs. Each batch uses a dozen eggs, and since we have more eggs than we know what to do with, I was most pleased to play around with a curd recipe that uses the whole egg. Most call for the yolk alone, which seemed like an awful waste unless you take the extra step to do a meringue or something else with the white. My curd uses the whole egg, and it is satisfying to me to not "lose" any of that goodness.
OH, if you are new to curds, we use them in place of jam on toast, or they are more traditionally used as the filling for a tart. Or you know, on a spoon, right into your mouth. Whatever adds the inches to your waistline most effectively.
But then, there were still more peaches! I was getting a little frantic, because they had reached that state of "use me now or never, lady.." So I made pie. I used my Sour Cream Apple Pie recipe (nab it from the sidebar) exactly, with the exception of peaches for apples.
HEAVEN!
I made six - we ate one and I filled the freezer. Can I pause a moment to savor the beauty of filling your freezer with the work of your own hands? Locally grown peaches, given to us free from loving family and frantically made into yummy foods to sustain us through the winter. Big smile.
I ran out of pie plates that would safely go in the freezer (I didn't want to put glass in there, I'm sure it's fine.. but I just haven't done it yet?) so I went on to the muffin cups, making and freezing individual little Cup-Pies that I froze 4 per bag. They are the perfect portion for our family to pull out for one dessert. I reheat them in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes and they are just like they came out of the oven fresh.
This late summer and early fall have found me caring for my first "harvest." I've gardened before, but this is definitely the first year that I have had any amount of extra to preserve and keep for the winter. It's been a whirlwind of cooking and kitchen activity. I won't lie - these pretty snapshots of pie-making are a hoax of the eyes. My house became a MESS. Pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini, basil etc.. ALL over the kitchen. Everyday found us hauling in more produce from the garden and I couldn't keep up. Toys and papers and fabric everywhere else because I've been so preoccupied with the preserving of all the food goodness. My employees and family haven't had towels or toilet paper when they go to the bathroom and my hair has been in an ongoing state of frizz due to the non-ending steam from sealing jars. Was that a complaint? No, it's been a blast.
What have you been "keeping?" Any tips?
xo
Frizzy Sandi
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