I Can't Stop!

It would be an understatement to say, "I love this time of year"! The growing season is at its peak and I feel such an urgency to take advantage of all it has to offer. I almost feel overwhelmed. I'm not always sure where to start or what to do first.
I want to partake of all these delightful fruits and veggies and incorporate them into our daily meals. I want to find a way to preserve and save what I can and enjoy during the coming months when they will no longer be available.
For me, it's still kind of new and I'm trying to prioritize and get the most out of it.
Last week I received a most welcome message on Facebook. A dear and thoughtful friend asked if I'd like a box of fresh, ripe, local organic peaches. Are you kidding??? Do ducks quack? She is involved with an experimental farm operated by an agricultural university. She explained they have an organic section and the peaches were from that area of the farm. I was more than thrilled! I was honored and excited that she thought of me.

The next morning these beauties arrived on my front porch. I'm not lying when I say I really think they are the most gorgeous peaches I have ever seen. Not a bruise, not a blemish. Firm and ripe and juicy. I wanted to do something with them "worthy" of their greatness!
At the same time, I was dealing with my giant flat of blackberries. I had to assess the situation and make a plan. It has been my experience that berries are quite fragile and go "south" quickly. These aren't the kind of fruits you buy in the grocery store in the winter and they last for weeks in your fridge...these are the real thing...local, freshly picked at the moment of juicy ripeness. Use 'em or lose 'em! I decided the beautiful peaches could wait a day, but the berries needed to be dealt with quickly.
So, the day after my jam-a-thon, the peaches needed some loving attention.
I have to tell you...the three batches of blackberry jam pretty much exhausted me, but I was not willing to sacrifice a single fuzzy peach!
Hubs and I did enjoy a few with our dinner and breakfast. Not sure what they did up at the Ag Farm but we both agreed they were the best peaches we'd ever eaten.
I got busy bright and early the next morning and started by perusing some recipes and food preservation books. I decided to go simple. I had some newly purchased freezer containers and decided to go that route. I thought a batch of peach pie filling sounded like a great idea and would be very welcome in the early winter months. I haven't really done anything with freezing in the past and thought I'd give it a shot.

I was really happy with how the pie filling turned out. It smelled absolutely divine and actually made enough for 3 future pies! I'm excited about that and think it will soften winters harshness on at least 3 occasions!
I had enough peaches left to fill two more quart size freezer containers and ended up just slicing them up, sprinkling them with some fruit preserver and a bit of sugar. I know those will be a welcome addition to the winter as well.
As always...I feel such a huge sense of pride and accomplishment when I am done. Maybe that is part of the enticement for preserving food.

I need a new shelving system! This one is full and I couldn't fit my last 9 jars of blackberry jam on it! The 4 quarts of tomatoes are what is left of last years tomato harvest. ( I had 24 jars originally and we have had many delectable meals with our perfectly canned tomatoes). Everything else has been fashioned this summer.
I've enjoyed having a couple of recovery days for sure...but, now, the wheels are turning again and I'm wondering what I can come up with next! Maybe try a couple of bottles of tomatillos from my daughters prolific urban garden? Or, head down to the "u-pick" farm a few miles away and get a late crop of luscious raspberries? Oh wait...or how about both?!

hello? spellcheck? you seriously don't recognize tomatillos???