Peach Fest 2013

“Millions of Peaches, Peaches for free…..”  This was a song from the mid-1990’s!  Why these guys sang about peaches perplexes me to this day.  The peach is definitely a sexualized fruit, so I’m not sure if the singer was overwhelmed by the fruit or women!

I, on the otherhand, was most definitely overwhelmed by the fruit.  My 5 year old peach tree came into maturity in the middle of August.  It was late this year, as where the peaches at her parent orchard, Fix Bros. (south of Hudson, NY).  However, late or not, once the peaches are mature, it’s a speed race to pick them and prepare them.  I call it peach fest! And yeh, if you know me, you know that I'm a little obsessive about the tree and the fruit.  I'd wanted a peach tree since I was a little kid, but we never had luck growing one at my parents' house.  So, what can I say, I'm living the dream!

Peach Fest 2013 officially started Thursday, August 15.  Mom came for a visit and we picked from the tree in my yard.  There must have been 20 pounds easily that day.  Mom said, “you really think you need to go to Fix Bros?  You’ll have plenty from your tree.”  I was aghast.  Of course we had to pick at the orchard.  I was making jam!

We went to Fix Bros on Friday and tried to not get too many, but the trees are low to the ground and the peaches are enormous, and it’s just too easy.  We ended up with 45 pounds of the beauties.   It took less than ½ an hour to get the job done. 

Enter peach madness.  I spent the next several days sorting and culling the peaches from my tree.  There was probably 20 more pounds coming from her alone.  Once the peach is ripe I boil them until their skins pop off.  They retain an incredible amount of heat!  I lost a little feeling in my fingers peeling so many hot ones. 

I made a pie, a crisp, ice cream…..I froze 17 containers from my own tree.  As I write this, I need to boil up some of the remaining Fix peaches to freeze.  I also made 27 jars of jam!  It’s not quite over, but it’s dying down.  What fun.  Peach Fest 2013.  

The pictures sometimes tell the story better:

Point of reference.  Me and the tree after planting in 2008.

2013.  That's a 4 foot ladder under the tree.

Sorting the ones from my tree.

Green to go!  The sorting process! 

Hot peeling pain!

Wait!  There's MORE??!?!!

Yeh, 45 pounds more from Fix Bros.

Better make something and eat them daily!

Peach ice cream!

Peaches over angel food cake!

Jam!

New Canning Pot

Prepped jars await.

The process.

Just some of the frozen.

25 jars of joy.

What's left!