August 21, 2022

Peaches, Glorious Peaches

George du Maurier wrote that “an apple is an excellent thing, until you have tried a peach.” That may be true.

Peaches

Peaches are juicy fruits with more than 2,000 varieties found worldwide. They are members of the rose family (who knew), close relatives of almonds, and among those called “stone fruits” because of the hard pits surrounding their seeds.

Guide to Peach Varieties

30 Types of Peaches to Eat Fresh or Canned

A ripe juicy peach is something to savor. You can judge the ripeness first by scent and then by gentle touch. Bite into it and let the juices dribble out of the corners of your mouth. You’ll smile and relish every bite.

Fresh Ohio Peaches

My sister recently found her way to my stash of fresh local peaches in the deep freezer and promptly made peach pie and peach cobbler. She is such a grand baker and her dishes are so good! We even packed frozen vacuum sealed peaches for her to take back home.

Peach cobbler

Susans luscious peach cobbler. Served with vanilla ice cream, it was simply dreamy. We are, after all, twin sisters who love peaches!

Susan’s Peach Pie

Peaches tucked under a beautiful lattice crust...Susan revealed the secret was working quickly and carefully, with peaches that were sweet, firm and seasoned ever so slightly with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and homemade vanilla sugar. Susan is a baker who fusses over the small details.

Susan and Pat

She hums while she cooks (don't think she even notices she does this) and has a rhythm to her work. When she’s in my kitchen, I step aside and let her do her thing only stopping to answer a “where do you keep” question about a spice or certain size pan. I’m grateful for her good cooking, and her clean up as she goes method in the kitchen which our Mom taught us.

Susan at Work in the Kitchen

I just like to watch her hands at work, chopping, stirring or turning pie crust into works of art. She’s a teacher and takes time to share detailed step-by-step instructions on what she’s doing.

This is us showing off the vanilla sugar we made during an impromptu “class” with our friends Pam and Hillary on how to make marshmallows.

I’m by no means the baker Susan is, however, I can hold my own. That baking gene came from our Mom. I love when we can cook together, either in my kitchen or hers. At Thanksgiving, we’ve cooked together in her home for our families and friends and it’s one of my best family memories.

Pat’s Granola Peaches