Boom & Bust

Peach trees bloom every other year unless you take the time to thin the flowers so the tree doesn't experience boom and bust years. This is what I learned from the people at Hackett's Orchard, but they were talking about apples.

This year I should have thinned the blossoms to prevent the boom/bust cycle. I failed to do it though. I was only thinking about crop yields, not the tree itself. I was ok with having a year off from peaches. 

This year's crop was bigger than it was 2 years ago. The branches were so heavy with fruit that they bowed toward the ground and the whole tree (both of them) began to lean. My father-in-law tied them up with stakes. I held my breath that the peaches would ripen before an overburdened branch broke. The idea of building a crutch to help hold up particular branches came to mind, but never materialized.

On Monday the kids and I picked some peaches. After at least a week of checking them each day, many of them were ready. We filled our basket, then went inside to get a bigger container. When we returned one of the branches was snapped. Was I just unobservant the first time or had the branch snapped during those few minutes away? Sadness.

So the kids and I went to work and made up songs like "we've got to pick, pick, pick the peaches...to protect our trees!" And repeat.

We got a huge haul, an entire red wagon full. There are a few chicken eggs hanging out on top of the small collander too.

I read that most trees can heal themselves, and sealants cause more harm than good. There was nothing to do for the tree but saw off the broken branch and hope the tree survives.

Bottom line: don't be lazy or greedy, thin those peach blossoms! 

Canned Patience & Practice

August brings the bounty of the harvest. The pears are starting to come in, the peaches too. And this year was an especially bumper crop of both. 

Now comes the task of processing so we might actually enjoy all the bounty. With the pears I have time because even though many have been picked, they will still take weeks before they spoil.

The peaches, on the other hand, do not ripen on your counter, they must ripen on the branch to achieve the best flavor. No surprise then, you have to consume or preserve them quickly. 

I'm still pretty new to canning and preserving so the night before I started canning I read up on the process for canning peach halves in water or ultra lift syrup. I was feeling pretty good about how the next morning would go. 

In the morning the kids both washed the jars, Big Bro rinsed them, filled them with fresh water and put them in the canner. 

I started halving and peeling peaches. 

The kids were done washing and still eager to help so I tried to have them twist apart the peach halves. It was too difficult, but thankfully they went to the living room to entertain themselves. They're getting better at that.I placed the cut peaches in a water and lemon juice mixture to prevent browning. I filled the bowl and maxed out all the space. My jars were warming in the canner, the ultra light syrup was cooking.

Then I looked at the lids. Crap. The only lids I had were wide mouth and all the jars that were so nicely warmed in the water were small mouth, save one. Despite my prep I still goofed.

I found some wide mouth jars and got them cleaned and warmed. The next problem was the jar filling. Peach halves have to be arranged pit cavity side down in the jar. Hot packed peaches are slippery and it took some effort to get them all the right way. Then there's the filling the jar with syrup to the right level, getting the air bubbles out, wiping the top, closing it up, then putting it in the canner. Somehow I tipped a jar while trying to get the bubbles out. Hot peaches and syrup splattered on the floor. Lil Sis came in and laughed, "Mommy, you're standing in peaches!"

I pressed on, but by now I had been canning for over an hour and the kids were starting to fight over who had which activity book, which color crayon, and even whether the illustrated sea urchins and other creatures were boys or girls. "Make at least one a boy??? Oh please!" Begged Big Bro. "Noo!" Shouted Lil Sis.

My counter top still overflowed with peaches and there are hundreds more in the basement. My canning effort up to now only yielded 2 quarts and one pint of halved peaches. One of the jars hadn't even sealed so we would have to eat it in the next week or so. Seriously peaches, I love your sweet taste, but this was the pits.

I ended up turning my second batch of cut peaches into purée and froze it into popsicles.

Maybe this weekend I will try again.