Peach Fiasco

Ken loved stone fruit.  Stone fruit always appears near the top of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of food with heavy pesticide residues.  Years ago I insisted we spend the extra money on organic stone fruit: peaches, cherries, plums, nectarines.  So I bought and canned peaches once I could get organic ones so Ken would have some at any time of the year. After Ken’s illness and death I had so much food …

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More Preserving to Come

Each summer I canned organic peaches for Ken.  Ken loved all stone fruit like peaches, plums, cherries, etc.  The stone fruits consistently show up on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of foods that have high pesticide residues.  So I made an effort to find and can organic peaches in pint jars;  Ken could take them out to the field with a spoon and have a mid morning and/or a mid afternoon snack. With …

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Preserving Peaches Many Different Ways

Ken loves peaches so this year we ordered boxes of organic peaches to enjoy all year.         First a few were ripe so I made jam.  The large jars are apple juice from the steam juicer       Then I froze some         And today I canned one large batch and then a smaller batch to use up the syrup I had.       Then I tried …

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Peaches this Year

Ken loves stone fruit like peaches, apricots, cherries, nectarines.  They are always on the Environmental Working Groups “Dirty Dozen” list for chemical pesticide residues, so we avoid any thing that is not organically grown.  this year while visiting some friends I was able to get a box of organic peaches.  And our host who knows Ken loves peaches offered a second box.  I came home and set them on the cook stove to watch for …

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Preserving the Harvest – Jam

This time of year as the tsunami of produce arrives, it is time to think of the future in addition to the present.  Preserving that summer bounty is crucial to eating year around local food.  In addition to freezing berries and this year, peaches, I also make jam. Our jam is maximum fruit with minimum sugar, and pectin.  I searched for the recipe that gave me the least amount of cooking time and additional ingredients.  …

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