2011 Peach Harvest

We had a fabulous peach harvest this year even though we had a hard freeze the night our peach tree was blooming. We covered several of the branches with large sheets and it looks like those are the only branches that produced fruit. Because the harvest was small, the peaches were extra large. This was a good reminder for us to always thoroughly thin our peach tree each year.

I also need to remember in years going forward to wait until the peaches are a golden orange all around with no trace of green and plan to pick in 3 batches. Once the peaches start to ripen they look ready outside in the sunlight but it really takes an additional week of patience until they are ready to pick.

This was a late year for us. In 2011 our first peach was ripe September 12th with 1-3 peaches ready to eat each day until September 21st when we bottled 60% of the tree. We picked and bottled the remaining 40% on September 23rd. We bottled 35 quarts this year.

Canning Peaches

Canning Peaches
http://enjoyingtheharvest.blogspot.com/

1. Wash jars and lids, then leave in dishwasher to keep warm
2. Wash peaches in a clean sink with cold water
3. Boil water for syrup
4. Blanch peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then submerge blanched peaches
in ice cold water
5. Peel skin, remove pit and slice in half (or in thirds for extra large peaches).
Store sliced peaches in a bowl of cold water while preparing enough slices for a
batch.

6. Heat water to 180 F, simmer lids in water
7. Add 2/3 cup sugar to each quart jar, then add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until
dissolved, then pack peaches to ½ inch below rim.
8. If needed add more water to cover all peaches
9. Wipe down jar top and place lid and screw on ring finger tight
10. Place jars in rack above boiling water to acclimate

11. After a minute or two gently lower jars into hot water. Add more water to
ensure jars are covered by 1” of water.
12. Bring to a boil and start timer
13. After processing for the correct time for your altitude (I process mine for 25
minutes), remove from water and allow to cool at room temperature and free from
drafts
14. The following day, remove rings, check seals and wash jars.
15. Home process foods last for up to 3 years.

*****
On the stove you will want a large stock pot to blanch the peaches, a medium size pot to boil water to pour into the jars and a small pot to simmer the lids. I put my large water bath canning on our propane camp chef outside on the back patio. It frees up room on our stove and keeps all the heat outside.

A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16-24 quarts (2.5 pounds per quart)

Guidelines are from the National Center for Home Preservation

Lemon Elberta Peaches

I grew up eating Lemon Elberta peaches and they are still my all time favorite peach. They are a reliable frost hardy yellow freestone for Utah and Pacific NW. They are fabulous eaten fresh from the tree, great dehydrated, frozen and canned. Because they are a freestone it's easy to remove the pits and the canning process runs smoothly.

Harvest from 2010

Dehydrated Peaches

Dipping Solution (for color retention)
1 ½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey

Combine water, sugar and honey in a medium sauce pan, then heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Wash peaches, then dip in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then submerge in cold water. Peel, remove pit, then slice each half in 5-6 slices. Dip slices in solution (see above), then pat dry with paper towels.

Fill dehydrator trays with a single layer of peaches with at least ½” of spacing between fruit. Follow dehydrators directions for drying process. Once dry, store in ziplock bags.

*****
We try to make a huge batch of these each August/September with Lemon Elberta Peaches. They are a perfect snack! I have two Nesco dehydrators and it takes 5-6 hours to dry a full batch of peaches. Start to finish (including set up, prep and clean up) it takes about an hour to get two full batches of peaches drying- but worth every minute.

If you start a batch in the evening and they aren’t quite finished when you’re ready for bed- just unplug the dehydrators for the evening, then plug them back in first thing in the morning.