Saturday, August 18, 2012

Summer Gold



Peaches, unlike Olympic medals, are the gold accessible to almost everyone in the summer and very early fall season; and here in the South, they're sweet, abundant, and cheap! Read more after the jump!


Flashback to last summer:  my first summer canning, and me being a Yankee, totally freaked out when I saw peaches on sale at our local Wal*Mart for only 98 cents per pound. I brought them home and got started. I lovingly washed the peaches, scored an X on their bottoms, blanched and peeled them. I pitted the fruit. It was difficult, but eventually I succeeded. End scene.

The problem I was facing was a stubborn force:  clingstone peaches.

I suppose that it had never occurred to me about 'cling' versus 'free' stones, and I'm not particularly sure why. I did a little research this year and now I know. Knowledge is power, after all!

You see, peaches are classified as either white or yellow, and clingstone or freestone. I selected freestone yellow peaches this year for my own sanity.

What is a freestone peach? It's a peach that when cut releases the pit from it's flesh very easily. I prefer them when canning and preserving because of the sheer ease. Last year the clingstones left me with sore hands, mangled peaches, and at least one headache. I must take a moment and tell you that clingstone peaches aren't inherently evil and are just as delicious when canned. It's all market availability, personal preference and canning stamina.
An example of a freestone peach
Ok, there will be a quiz next week on all you've learned! Have a good weekend!
Just kidding.

I've been buying the peaches in manageable batches because I've got limited fridge space as well as limited free time. All of my boys love peaches, so I've had to fight to preserve them. I'm down to eleven peaches and since I don't have enough to can, I'm going to dry them.

With the prices of gourmet dried fruit being fairly astronomical, I thought "Let's see if I've got the moves like..err... Harry and David."

I'm going to be using my oven for this instead of my dehydrator because I'm doing peach halves, not slices. Slices turn out more like peach chips for me and I'm looking for the luscious, chewy fruit of my dreams.

Step 1: Wash and pretreat the fruit. 

Fruit wash-y goodness.
     I like sugar. I have a really unfortunate sweet tooth and I'm okay with it. That being said, I made a wash to pretreat the fruit before I started the drying process. I used honey to sweeten, and a little lemon juice to help preserve the peaches' color. You can get better results if you use a product such as Fruit-Fresh® or powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C). I didn't have any, so I 'made do.' Very rarely can you make substitutions in preserving, but I don't mind if my dried fruit is a little brown. Canning is not as forgiving. Always use recipes from a reputable source (sometimes even blogs aren't using safe recipies and procedures!) and PLEASE make sure to call your local County Extension Office if you have any questions about safe home preserving. They have accurate information available to them and they are there for your benefit! It is much better to ask and know than to take the risk of potentially poisoning someone with canned goods that weren't prepared properly. Botulism isn't a joke. You'll probably hear me say this once a week... but it's very important! 

OK. *steps off of soapbox.*
In batches, let those babies get happy in their
sugary swimming pool for 3-5 minutes.
Step 2:  Place fruit on a cooling rack.

Make sure that there is enough room between each piece of fruit so that air may circulate and dry the fruit evenly. Gently prick the skin of each peach 5-6 times with the tines of a fork to encourage moisture loss.

Step 3:  Ovenate *Caution: Fictional word*

Place the fruit into an oven that's been preheated to 175 F (that's as low as my oven will go) on the middle rack to encourage air circulation.
I added a layer of heavy-duty foil under my heating element
 to catch the drips and prevent a nasty cleanup later.
To further encourage airflow, tee open your oven door with a wooden spoon if it won't stay on its own.
I don't always rig things; but when I do, it's
awesome.
The fruit will take somewhere between 8 to 10 hours, depending on your fruit, your oven, and the weather. I'm past the 8 hour mark and my fruit probably needs two more hours as I type this. It's been rainy today, so I blame the humidity. Also, I blame North Carolina, but that's another post entirely. I promise to edit this post with pictures when the fruit is done later this evening!
Check periodically after 8 hours until fruit presents as dry, yet pliable .

When your fruit is done, remove the rack from the oven and let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container in a cool dark spot. Store in smaller batches to prevent spoiling all of your hard work in case one piece wasn't quite dry enough. This fruit will last almost indefinitely as long as you keep a lock on the cupboard, but if you suspect that it may have turned... "When in doubt, throw it out!"  

Edit 19 Aug, 2012:  Just finished the peaches this morning with two more hours in the oven, but flipped cut-side up. That seemed to do the trick! I would recommend putting the peaches in the oven overnight to dry, especially if you live in a humid climate. 

The Verdict


     Although they might not be as pretty as sulfured dried fruit that you get from the store, they're healthier (and less expensive) because I was in control of the ingredients when I prepared them. I just tried one and it was  delicious! I had to remind myself to stop eating it and take the picture! The flavor profile was tangy but sweet enough and very peachy, true to the fruit before I dried it. The texture was almost spot-on when comparing to store-bought. They aren't quite Harry and David, but I'm going to have a really hard time keeping my hands to myself them through the winter!

What? You'd like to make your own? Here's how.

This wash will be enough for up to 10 pounds of fruit.
For the fruit wash:
1 c warm water
2/3 c honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice or 1/4 tsp powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or Fruit-Fresh® 
2 pinches salt

Mix all fruit wash ingredients until combined. Place halved (or sliced) peaches or apricots into solution and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Remove and place on wire cooling rack, then into preheated 175 F oven. For slices, 3-4 hours should do the trick. For halves, 8-10 hours, or more, depending on how much moisture is in your peaches and the air. Cool, package in an airtight container, and enjoy.

What is your favorite thing to do with dried fruit? Baked goods? Over roasted meat? Just plain snacking?

7 comments:

  1. Nice post and beautiful pictures... almost makes me want to try it! I'll try *eating*, how's that? Bring back more Marmalade! I hear Muscadine grapes are in season too... and figs... and it's almost time for persimmons! {tries to start the wave}

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    1. Figs are past season here in NC now, which is sad. :( Muscadine grapes post next week!

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  2. This sounds so much easier than I have imagined it, although the wait time is longer than I thought haha. I really want to try this. I've been loving peaches a lot lately. They must be in season because every peach I buy is delicious! My favorite thing is to just eat plain fruit by itself! I love dried cranberries and dried apricots a lot. Do Jim and the boys love the dried peaches?? Oh also, what do you store your peaches in that is air tight?

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    1. They seemed to take FOREVER! Last night I turned them off and left them in the oven overnight. This morning I flipped them cut-side up and put them in for two more hours and they'll be done in 5 minutes! Posting pics...

      The boys aren't sold on the peaches yet, but they love dried cranberries and raisins, so it will only be a matter of time.

      Personally, I store my dried fruit in a freezer-thickness zippered baggie.

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  3. Awesome! They look delicious! Mmm I know I would love them.

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  4. Kara how are you storing them? They look yummy!

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    Replies
    1. I store mine in zipped bags. I didn't make very many because I was down to only a few peaches. I'm trying my best not to eat them, they're very addictive.

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