Just Peachy

I decided to learn more about the peach since all I really knew was that they taste really good.

Peach trees originated in China. The Persians brought peaches to the Romans. The peach finally made its way to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. Various Native American tribes are believed to have spread peach trees across the US. At the same time settlers also brought peaches out west.
I was surprised to read that the peach is the second largest fruit crop in the US. To be honest I figured it would have been oranges after the #1 apples.
Most peach trees are not very tolerant to the cold yet they need a cold period in order for the pit to grow into a tree.
I myself was surprised that I could find peach trees in New England. I always thought they all just grew in warm places like Georgia. I'm guessing the more cold tolerant trees are what I am picking from in MA where I live.

A local nursery might carry 2-3 year old peach trees and of course this would be the easiest. But you can also grow one yourself from a peach pit. Your results will vary depending on where you got the peach. Many store bought peaches are actually from trees that were from peach trees grafted to another tree.

You can plant a peach pit outside. Store the pit in a cool dry place out of the sun until the Fall. In the Fall plant it 3 inches deep and mark its location so you don't accidentally cut it with the lawnmower or step on it. Also it doesn't matter which side is up. The peach will grow the correct way. At least I have never seen one that was upside down.

You can also start planting it indoors. This method is good if it doesn't get too cold in the winter. A peach pit needs to be very cold for a short time before it will start to grow. Store the clean dry pit in the fridge inside a plastic bag. You can't store it with apples or bananas though. In December soak the pit in water for a few hours. Then place in a plastic bag with moist soil. After 1 or 2 months hopefully it will start to germinate. If it does you can plant it in a pot until the spring when you can plant it outside. Peach trees usually take 3 years before they start to bear fruit.

If you try to peel a ripe peach and just use a knife you will have a huge mess. I have read that blanching works well and I have tried it and it does work great. Basically you boil water then drop the peach in for about 45 seconds then remove it with a slotted spoon and then submerge it in ice water for 30 seconds. After this you can make a slice down the peach and easily peel off the skin.

I have come across a better way on my own that is even faster. Normally when I get peaches I will put them in the fridge once they ripen. By taking them out of the fridge then running them under my kitchen faucet using hot water for about 45 seconds I can then peel them easily also. If they don't peel easily they probably aren't ripe and you could store them for a day or 2 before they go bad. But, just don't eat the part you tried to peel before.

After peeling your peaches they will start to turn brown. I don't know about you but I don't want brown peaches. So I sprinkle them with a little lemon juice then toss them around to coat them. The acid in the lemon juice prevents the fruit from turning brown when it comes in contact with oxygen. This also works with apples and many other fruits.

I obviously love peach deserts too. Unfortunately my wife will only eat peach crisp and my kids say they like peaches but won't eat them. So when I make peach cobbler, I make it in a pie plate instead of a large dutch oven or large casserole pan.

Grilling fruit can make some very tasty and healthy snacks or deserts. I have grilled pineapple, apples and peaches with great results. I came across a recipe that sounded interesting, but also kind of strange. I often drizzle some olive oil on peaches cut in half then grill them for a few minutes on each side. But, this recipe suggests adding blue cheese in the center where the pit would be then adding some honey on the top. The picture looks great and if I get a chance to buy some blue cheese I might try it. It is called The best damn peaches you've never had

I use a pie plate so I'm not making too much of this desert. But it will definitely give you about 5 or 6 regular sized servings. Also I love it with vanilla ice cream. At some point set the oven to 400 degrees. When you are done cook it for about 12 minutes. (It should turn brown on top)

peach filling ingredients: 5 or 6 fresh sliced or diced peaches(might want to sprinkle with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown while you get everything else together), 1 table spoon of bisquick, 2 table spoons of honey (or you could use maple syrup or sugar), 3 or 4 shakes of cinnamon, 1 shake of nutmeg.

For the peach filling
just mix all of the above together. Some people don't mind the skin on the peaches, but I did remove mine with a trick also on this lens. If you need to use canned peaches I would use 1 can with the syrup and drain the other one. You can always use more or less peaches depending on their size. I also sprinkled a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans over the peach filling last time and it added a lot to the flavor.

dough ingredients: 2/3 cup of Bisquick, 2 table spoons of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of butter and 2 tsp. of milk.

For the dough combine the bisquick and brown sugar. Then cut in the butter until it small (like the size of peas.) Then mix in the milk and mix it together. It doesn't need to be a complete dough since you will just drop it on top of the peach mixture in spoonfuls.

Making baked french toast isn't hard, but it does take longer than the regular simple french toast. However it also tastes a lot better.
The main time consuming part is that it uses more ingredients and you need to prepare it the night before. I always make variations of this for Easter and Christmas breakfast when we have company. Everyone loves it.

You will need a 9x13 inch dish and you will need to start the night before.

Ingredients: A loaf of French Bread, 5 eggs, 1 and 1/2 cups of milk, 1 table spoon of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 table spoons of honey, 1/2 cup of butter, 1 large can of peaches or 3 or 4 fresh peaches(sliced) and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.

First melt the butter, sugar and honey over the stove. Then pour it evenly into the pan. Then slice the bread into thick slices. (3 times as thick as regular bread). After the sauce has cooled, place the pecans and then the peaches on top of the sauce. Then place the bread on top. Go ahead and squeeze the bread close together to fit as mush as you can. I can almost always fit the whole thing. Then sprinkle as much cinnamon as you like over the bread. I also like to sprinkle nutmeg, but not too much a little goes a long way. Probably just get a little onto each piece.

Next mix the eggs, milk and vanilla together. Pour this mixture evenly over the bread. I then cover it with plastic wrap and push down on the bread a little to make sure it will soak in well. Put the french toast into to fridge for the morning.
The next morning cook at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. If it looks like it is starting to burn at all then cover it with foil for the rest of the time.

If you don't have honey feel free to use maple syrup or a whole cup of brown sugar instead. If you use all brown sugar then also add 2 tablespoons of water while melting the ingredients.