Fruit Is Jarred And All Right With The World!
Where to start when you have little time, a bushel of peaches, roughly nine pounds of apricots, 24 ounces of store bought raspberries, and over 25 pounds of sugar. Why you can, naturally. Tuesday afternoon I bought the raspberries and apricots so I could get the apricot jam out of the way because it is a fruit that does not keep well. I called Meijers earlier in the day and asked them to set aside what they had left in stock and a young man, after hearing my story, graciously set them in the cooler until after I picked Jay up.
While I was there I bought the raspberries needed for the Peach Melba jam so I was ready to roll. I spent most of Tuesday night peeling peaches and making the jam and Amaretto peaches. The brown stuff in the peaches is cinnamon sticks. The results was 10 pints of Amaretto peaches and 14 half pints of Peach Melba jam. My day ended around 1 am with a heck of a lot of peaches still to be blanched and peeled.
I started Wednesday morning at around 6:30 am with the the apricots
Love them apricots—no peeling just cut and core—a piece of cake! I ended up with 21 half pints of apricot jam and 7 pints of apricots in light syrup.
Then it was back to peach peeling. Do you how long it takes to peel a bushel of peaches? Too freakin’ long I’ll tell you!! But once I got the hang of it I was busy stuffing jars for peaches in syrup and then chopping them up for jam.
By the end of the day I was too tired to think and needed Jay to come out and stir jam and put lids on. He had been making labels, bringing up more jars , and moving full ones down to the food room. The results of this labor of love was 23 pints of peaches in light syrup and 30 half pints of peach jam.
Then the table was clean (almost that is) and all the fruit was safe in their own little jars. Needless to say I fell into bed a 9:30 last night and never moved until 6:15 this morning.
The first order of the day was to put away clean dishes and reload the dishwasher, do a load of washing including dish towels, dish cloths, and every hot pad I own. I cleared the wash to be folded out of the dryer to make room for the next batch. I started gathering the canning paraphernalia to go down to the food room for another day. Next was to tackle that kitchen floor. I swear it sounded like bubble wrap when you walked across it. I also mopped the utility room at the same time leaving only the bathroom to go.
I have spent the last hour visiting with you but now I still have a bunch of things to do including packing my bag for the hospital so I’ll close for now and get my butt moving. I’ll see Yah!
Update: This afternoon McDaniel’s Farm Market called this afternoon to say they had Michigan apricots for us. So Jay is going to get some tomorrow and do them up for me. Dang just a day too late for me.
Comments:
OK, now I need a nap after reading all of your “shining efforts”! I just read your blog to Eric and said, as an addendum: “and she’s 13 years older than me!“ As I’ve said before: “You guys do great work!“ BRAVO! BRAVISSIMO!!! (now go take a nap!)
Will be praying for all of y’all in the next days;
Hugs;
PammiePosted by Pammie on 08/21 at 11:07 AMI thought I did well chasing two 22 month old twins around their apartment the last two days. Wow, my efforts were nothing in comparison to all you have done. You two are champions!
I hope you take a little time now to sit down, rest, and play with Brandi.
Posted by Maria on 08/22 at 06:32 PMWow all those peaches look wonderful, made me feel very hungrey reading your last post. What a wonderful lot of work!!
My work well so called I rocked the night away yesterday Friday at a friend’s Golden Wedding Anniversary party with 160 guests attending at a modern village hall nr here, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves - has taken me all day today to get over it!! We ate great food and drinks were on the house so everyone was happy! Marion with love hoping to get a record by Eric Clapton played for the couple tonight after 9 our time on our Local Radio Station, we all lots of folk, listen to the Station Saturday evenings every week, You Look Wonderful Tonight, as they both did being in their early 70s too.
Posted by on 08/23 at 12:43 PMI had never heard of “Amaretto peaches” until I read about you canning them. I’ve just done a very quick Search for a recipe and now I am more confused than ever. The recipes I came across included making them with ice cream, and with cookies but none which “canned” them.
If you are recovered enough, please can you send me your recipe?Thanks, and good/better health to you.
Janey
janeyknitting AT yahoo DOT caPosted by on 09/07 at 11:43 PM
Next entry: The Time Is Right!
Previous entry: Peaches And Pussy Cats!