Canned Peaches

Well, here they are. My beauties. My golden peaches. I am so proud of them, yet at the same time I have that uneasiness that comes along with canning your own fruits. I worry, will they poison me when I dig into them during the winter? Will I develop botulism or perhaps another one of those mouldy diseases when I digest these pretty peaches? I should hope not… but, all the same, I do have that uneasy feeling – as I am sure that some of you out there that have ventured into the world of preserving may have too. All worries aside, canning is a very easy process – and as long as you follow all the safety directions from a good book – canning has very minimal risks and is well worth the effort! When it comes down to it, I want to be a good locavore. I want with all my heart to avoid those lovely, tropical glories that lay waiting in the grocery store in December, January and February. I know its wrong to pick up that pineapple or even that innocent looking strawberry from Cali. – I am the one that made my own rules and it is now up to me to choose to follow them or not. Today, I felt like a good locavore. I decided to think ahead, to plan. We are currently in the midst of the high season,you can get almost anything your local food heart desires right now. This means that now is the time to be planning out what you will put in your gullet over the winter months that will keep your good locavore heart happy. For inspiration,I have posted my peaches for you. I hope you are inspired to think ahead so that you don”t find yourself in December fondling the peaches at A&P and telling yourself they will taste good, because they won”t.. you know it… I know it and A&P knows it, but they will sell them to you anyways.. and you will (mark my blog-words) be disappointed! How to Can Peaches- Kelly Stylie You will need: About 21 peaches Simple Syrup (3 cups sugar and 5 cups water) Boiling Water 6 pint mason jars with lids (500ml) Lemon Juice and more water First thing. get your lids and jars boiling (to sterilize them). Next, boil another pot of water to blanch your peaches in, also get a big bowl of ice water ready. Carefully dunk your peaches in the boiling water for 40-60 seconds. Remove and put in ice water for a moment. This will release the skins from the peaches. Peel peaches, remove pit and slice how you like. Place peaches in a new bowl that has a mixture of 4 cups water and 1/4 cup of lemon. This is a mixture to help keep the fruit from discolouring. Make your syrup. Take 3 cups of sugar and 5 cups of water and boil, then keep warm. Pack peaches into your sterilized jars. Pack fruit to 3/4 inches from rim, fill with syrup to 1/2 inch of rim. Use a long narrow object to remove any air bubbles before sealing (I like to use a wooden chopstick). Be sure to wipe the rim with a clean, sterile cloth before placing lid on jar. Place ring on jar and only tighten with two fingers.. not too tight! Boil your jars for 20 minutes covered in water.. make sure all lids have popped before storing. If you have never canned before, try it with a friend first that has some experience at it. Also, get a really good book. There are so many books available now, I do have a few – but one that is essential and has all the basics in it – is the Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving. Good luck!  Read More

Millions of Peaches.. peaches for me .. look out!

What a peach. Peaches. Yes, Ontario peaches. Amazingly these southern belles take lovely to our Southern Ontario weather, how lucky we all are to be located within 100 miles of peaches (roughly!). I apologize for the lack of posts this week, I have been away on a little vacation.. but more about that later. For now, we have peaches to entertain us! So where can you find them and how about some info as usual? NutritionOne medium-size peach contains 37 calories and is a source of Vitamin C. That means you can eat a lot of them and still reserve a southern belle figure! HistoryArchaeologists have found bowls of peaches, revered as a potent symbol of immortality, entombed with Chinese dignitaries several centuries before Christ.The peach is likely native to that part of China near the Pakistani border where it still grows wild. The Latin name for peach means “Persian plum” because the Romans imported it from Persia (now Iran) some 2,000 years ago.In the New World, peaches date back to the 1500”s, brought first to Latin America by early Spanish colonists. Peach trees flourished in temperate parts of Canada almost from the time of the first European settlement. The above history and vitamin C info can be found directly at: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/facts/peaches.htm Peaches can be found at all of our supermarkets right now, they can also be found at all of the farmer markets in town as well as some farm stands bring them in from other surrounding farms. They are everywhere! But they don”t last long, so don”t hesitate. Hey,unlike the tomatoe,the peach can be stored in the refrigerator, Actually.. you are intended to eat the most ripened of the basket first and store the rest in the fridge.. taking out the fruits and letting them come to room temperature a day before eating for optimal flavour! I think a peach is like velvet. There is nothing like a ripe peach in the middle of summer. Go on now.. get your peach on!  Read More