Just Peachy

Last week we got to know some peaches.

On Monday we went to a nearby orchard I'd heard about, to pick peaches. The U-Pick price was 35 cents a pound. Now, anytime they drop to below $1, I'm all over them at the store, so I decided to make good on this opportunity, whether the fruit were a bit on the small side or not.

And proceeded to pick 63 lbs, plus the one Organique picked and ate without my knowledge while strapped to my back. Dust and all (and there was lots of dust).

They weren't fully ripe yet, so we spread them out (everywhere) and ate a few several tons.

By Wednesday, they were getting close, but we'd eaten a lot of them. So, because I can't leave well enough alone, we went back.

I took a few empty containers (getting hard to come by around here!) and we quickly picked them full.

I was surprised to find out we'd picked ninety-seven more pounds. *gulp* That surprised me, because it was only one laundry basket, an old-school enameled tub, and a half-bushel basket.

What followed was days and nights of blanching, peeling, eating, pitting, freezing, eating, canning, jamming, eating, and dehydrating. And eating.

Oh, do you see that pot up there? That's my new fabulous, much-loved, sturdy, thicker-than-tin-foil, non-scorching 16-quart stock pot I got from the restaurant supply on Thursday. I am in love. Especially with the fact that it was more than $30 cheaper than the most affordable one I could find online.
Pantry count:

13 quarts canned

34 quarts frozen

5 pints jam

2 quarts dehydrated

3 quarts refrigerated

many eaten, baked, used in recipes, oatmeal, etc. :)

In all, I'm surprised that I still like them. So often, after handling and dealing with produce in a quantity to wipe me out, I end up avoiding them for a long time. We still have a couple dozen fruit kicking around, but even now I peeled two, sprinkled them with some evaporated cane juice, and drenched them in some fresh, raw jersey cream. MMMmmmmmMmmMMMmm.

Much to love.