Life in Southeast Alaska

Canning Peaches

Ate yogurt for breakfast with vanilla and sugar – not as firm as the store bought, but very tasty to me.  Would be great in a smoothie or with granola like we had for breakfast in Mexico at the 100% - they mixed with honey.

Tried my hand at canning peaches – went well once I got the hang of it.  I plunged them first into boiling water for 60 seconds, then in ice water for 30 seconds.  The peels came right off most of them, but I had to make sure I got the pit out before I took off the peel because them become very slimy.  Some of the pits I was able to cut through and remove like an apple core – most of them I cut out from the top and then separated the halves.  I used a light syrup of 16 cups water to 8 cups sugar according to the Blue Ball book.  I plunged and processed 12 at a time, filled up the jars and put them in the hot water bath.  I did two batches and ended up with 12 pints.  It took 24 peaches or about 12 ½ pounds (half of the box).  Start to finish was 3 hours.

Untitled Comment

6:34 AM, Friday, July 28, 2006 .. Posted by morningsunshine

can you grow peaches in alaska? that is one (of the many) question I have about moving to Alaska.... I like the idea very much (and so does dh) but our major concern is it is sooo far away (good adn bad...)

Peaches

9:12 AM, Friday, July 28, 2006 .. Posted by mdonohue

We can't grow peaches where I'm at, but they may be able to further north. Up outside of Anchorage people have farms, but not around here. In Southeast Alaska there is too much rain for peaches - I bought mine at the store :o)
We can grow apples, cherries and plums though and we have many different wild foods - blueberries, huckleberries, salmonberries, strawberries, raspberries, currants, rose hips, crab apples. We also have very good hunting and fishing!