Peach preserves, peach pie filling, peach halves, sliced peaches…
I made arrangements to buy 3 bushels of peaches from Calhoun county. That’s a lot of peaches. We’ll be busy for a couple of days so please forgive me if I don’t keep things updated here. This is me practicing what I preach. I’m stocking up. I’m buying locally. I’m buying in bulk from a small farmer (my co-worker’s father-in-law). They are not organic. I’m sure they have been sprayed but this will do until we get our own orchard planted.
Each box (pictured below) is half a bushel. Half a bushel makes about 9 quarts of canned peaches. Sterilize and fill each jar, pour in hot syrup and place in a hot water bath for 30 minutes. Not much to it, just a lot of work.
It’s scald, peel, slice and pit over and over and over. But, boy! they taste good.
Mom says when she was a girl my grandpa would drive to Calhoun to load up the back of the truck with peaches. Then extended family would be in the kitchen (my kitchen) working together to put them up. It’s hot, sticky work. Here’s to hoping help is willing…and we don’t run out of jars…
Chism Heritage Farm 
Three bushels! Oh my goodness. What a blessing to have such a quantity within reach. I know you won’t be thinking”blessing” after a day of canning, with another to look forward to, but think of all the meals, all the people, the gifts, the pies…
…all the roasted pork shoulder coated (candied) in peach sauce…
peaches and cream, peach salsa…so here’s what you do – an entire meal based on peaches, with the roast pork as the centrepiece. Only wait for cooler weather.
We canned 14 quarts of peaches yesterday. And 4.5 quarts of tomato sauce. I was teaching David and Sherry how to can. I aim for 63 quarts to take us through the year. Nine canner loads. So have more canning to do. Peach and raspberry pie…yum!
Yum, those look delicious! Our stone fruits come from east of the mountains, so we have to wait a bit yet. They won’t grow here with out spray – too wet.
Thanks. The batches we canned tonight look better…packed tighter. So much to learn…
Peach BBQ sauce and peach salsa tomorrow!
Okay, here’s the story. When I was little, Dad set boards across his two ton truck bed so he could carry two layers of peaches. I am sure he found a buddy or two to keep him company and off he went to Calhoun County. If your name was Chism you had to know there were peaches coming. If your name wasn’t Chism, but you were a neighbor, you probably had peaches coming too. Back then the current dining room was the kitchen/dining room so things were cozier – and much hotter. Mom, both my grandmothers and my mom’s sister worked on the peaches. While you are thinking “sweet memories” keep in mind that peach fuzz is itchy. Mom always told Dad she didn’t need more than 4 bushels. I bet sometimes she would end up with 10. She picked over those bushels for the ripe peaches for days. She hated it. Keep in mind that all those extra people putting up peaches had to be fed and watered. I really don’t know how she did it. I loved it! I love peaches – any kind. I love that HFS wants the sticky floors and counters at his house. I’ll be there to help. See you later.
lol
Those sure are some pretty peaches. I love canning but haven’t done any yet. I expect to be up to my ears in tomatoes soon. I invested in a KitchenAid mixer with the attachments and use that for tomatoes. The kids (ages 2 & 5 last canning season) love to help and I don’t have to scald anything…it makes the canning experience much more pleasant.
Don’t tell my wife about the mixer. We are generally anti-kitchen gadget but I think she secretly wants one.
I love Caretakers story – a two ton, 2 layers – that’s a lot of peaches. Glad she still loves them, and is willing to help out!
Mom helped a bit tonight. We’re a lot faster with her than without. Thanks mom.