I’d rather be knitting but duty calls and by the time you’re reading this, I’ll be up to my eyeballs in canning peaches.
Peaches
We have four peach trees. One produces way early (the ones shown above) and about half the time, a late frost gets these and we don’t get any from that tree but this year and last year we got a lot. Those shown in the picture are the ones I brought in. Then I picked another bucket that was too heavy and I had to wait for Vince to bring it in and I didn’t get on the ladder to get the top peaches til he got home so those shown above are about half of what I picked off that one tree. I’m hoping to get 30 to 35 pints of canned peaches from that tree, plus I’m going to make a cobbler.
Peaches
We thought it was birds getting the peaches but I now think it was mostly bees, with a few birds. I don’t mind . . we need the bees and they’re so threatened, we’ll gladly share our peaches with them. The only problem is that the peaches look perfect from one side and I was afraid I was going to grab hold of one, and find it was full of bees on the other side . . and get stung. Neither of us got stung but when I was up on the ladder, they came buzzing by my head a few times. We left a few peaches on the tree for the birds and the bees!
Tee says
Wow, that is a lot of peaches. I think I might have to put a peach tree in…
Donna says
I remember helping my mom can peaches! We didn’t have any trees so someone must have given them to her. Nothing better than homemade peach cobbler and ice cream!!! Yum!
montanaclarks says
Amazing you all ready have peaches! A neighbor of ours in Arizona has peach trees and he said they were loaded this year. I haven’t been stung by a bee/wasp/yellowjacket in years–going out the door a few days ago a yellowjacket dropped down the neck of my shirt and stung me twice on my stomach before I could get my shirt off–GRRR.
Joyce says
I used to have an apple tree, and the wasps loved the apples! They would pretty much leave the skin and eat the innards of the apples. I never worried too much about getting stung because, the apples weren’t very good, so I didn’t pick them, and the wasps were pretty much drunk on slightly fermented apples. Most of the time they were so drunk they couldn’t fly straight any more. It was funny to watch them.. I would have worried more if I actually wanted to pick the apples. I would rather have a peach or apricot tree!
katie z. says
Hurray!
Sherrill says
WOW!! All that just from ONE tree?!! Wonder how many total you’ll get? They really look good.
Rebecca in SoCal says
You’re a good farmer! (Leaving some).
You don’t need to worry about missing out , with such a bountiful harvest, but I might wish that the bees and birds would finish one fruit before sampling another…it does look like those bees are doing that! Cooperation all around. ?
Helen Hubert says
Judy, have you ever made amaretto peach butter?
Yield 6 half-pint jars
Approx. 2 3/4 lb. Peaches, peeled, pitted & pureed
6 c. Peach puree, 2 c. Sugar
Cover & simmer 30 minutes
Add 1 c. Amaretto, simmer 5 min. or until desired thickness is reached.
Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. OMG, good!
Or, use bourbon instead, adding 1 T. Chopped fresh mint leaves in a spice bag. Add the mint during the 30 minute simmer for proper flavour.