PEACH RECIPES
How to peel peaches
Bring a large pot of water to full boil. Dip peaches in the boiling water for 1 minute. (I use a wire basket.) Remove from boiling water and cool in cold water. Peel should slip off easily of ripe peaches.
Peach Batter Cake
2 c. sliced peaches ½ c. milk
Juice of ½ lemon 1 c. all purpose flour
¾ c. sugar 1 t. baking powder
3 T. butter ¼ t. salt
Line well greased 9X9 inch pan with peaches. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cream sugar and butter together. Add milk alternately with dry ingredients. Spread batter over peaches.
Topping: 1 c. sugar ¼ t. salt
1 T. cornstarch 1 c. boiling water
Combine dry ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Pour boiling water over batter and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.
Peach Dumplings or Peach Enchiladas
Ingredients:
2 whole large peaches
2 8 oz cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon, to taste
1 1/2 cups orange juice or 1 can of lemon lime soda such as Mountain Dew.
Peel and pit peaches. Cut both peaches into 8 slices. Roll each peach slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over peaches. Pour orange juice around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
Freezing peaches: It is easy to freeze peaches! Just peel using the directions above, then treat with Fruit Fresh to keep them from browning, put them in a freezer bag or other freezer container – and freeze! Great for smoothies, pies, cobblers and the recipes above.
Canning peaches isn’t hard either but does require some equipment and canning jars. I like to use the wide mouth quart jars as it is easier to get peach halves in them. I scald and peel the peaches, then cut them in half, remove the pit and put them in the jars that have just been washed in the dishwasher. I use a light syrup – 1 cup sugar per quart of water and it takes about 2 quarts for 7 jars (that’s what fits in my canner). I add one teaspoon of fruit fresh per cup of water and bring it to a boil, then pour over the peaches in the jars, run a rubber spatula around the edges to remove air bubbles and then more syrup to slightly cover the peaches. Wipe the lip of the jar clean, put the 2 piece lids on, screw the ring on tightly, then put in the canner and cover with water. Bring water to a boil on high heat and continue boiling for 30 minutes. Remove from canner with a jar lifter to a wire rack. They are done! (The Ball Blue Book gives pictured instructions, or you can look online for more details.)
Canning is a little more work, but once you have eaten your own canned peaches, you will never buy them at the grocery again!
