Peach of a day with jam, beef stew, brandy nightcap
Ga. — the Peach Capital of the World. They were trucked inside a refrigerated semi to a parking lot near my house on July 10. Apparently I’m not the only peach lover in Pittsburgh: The line of cars was so long that a cop was directing traffic.
“Perfect for baking, canning, grilling or eating straight from the box,” the company proclaims, and they’re spot on. Everything I’ve made with their sweet and juicy fruit has been terrific.
The last time I bought from The Peach Truck, my box of fruit took about a week to ripen, which gave me some time to ponder what to do with it besides make jam. This time, however, the fruit was giving off a sweet peach aroma just two days in, and almost every one had some “give” when I gently squeezed it. These peaches were ripe, and I needed to work fast.
My sister, Kathy, took a bagful to make a pie and I also unloaded some on my mother. Another dozen were quickly peeled, sliced and tossed in a little sugar and lemon so I could freeze them for later. And the rest?
Yes, I made some jam, but not with my usual recipe. This time I followed Leah Shenot of Shenot Family Farm’s recipe, and added diced jalapeno for a bit of a kick. I’m not sure my husband will love it at breakfast, but it will make an awesome glaze for pork or chicken wings, and I can’t wait to spoon it on a warm buttermilk biscuit.
Having made three batches of homemade “cellos” this spring — with lemons, oranges and cherries — I also decided to try my hand at peach brandy. My colleague, Bob Batz, gave me his father’s old-school recipe and swore it was one of the best things he’d ever tasted. The only drawback was I’d have to wait a year or two to drink it.
Photocopied in Bob’s boyish hand, the recipe is incredibly simple. You mix diced peaches and their stones in a large container with yeast, brown sugar, cornmeal, raisins and water. Give it a good stir every day for nine days, let it rest for two more and then strain and bottle it. Then store it in a cool, dark place for as many months — or years — as you’re willing to wait.
“When I was growing up in the 1970s, my dad dabbled at making wine, mostly Concord grape,” Bob told me. “But at least once he made peach brandy, from this recipe that middle school me copied into the front of our slim, World War II wine book from England. They could turn anything into wine. Sealed into a former Canadian whiskey bottle with brown packing tape, a bottle of this brandy kept for 20-plus years until we cracked it open for a memorable Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. It was wonderful.”
Finally, I mined The Peach Truck website for something that sounded easy but interesting. I settled on a slow cooker recipe for Asian peach beef stew. The mix of boneless chuck roast and fresh peaches in a spicy sauce made with soy, hoisin and chili- garlic sauces is a little bit sweet, a little bit hot and totally scrumptious. And so simple!
If you missed The Peach Truck or just prefer to buy local, the good news is that Chambersburg peaches should be available within a week or so, according to Cavan Patterson, who sells them through Wild Purveyors in East Liberty.
“Peaches are coming on strong out here,” he says via email. Early clingstone varieties — whose meat clings to the pit — are in peak season.
The crop this year is much better than it has been the last few because there were no significant late frosts or hail storms, which can damage the fruit.
The slightly smaller and sweeter clingstones arrive first (early May to midJune) and are best for canning and preserving; the majority of all commercially sold canned peaches are clingstones. Freestone peaches, with flesh that easily pulls away from the pit, arrive around the end of July or early August, and are typically larger. They’re best for eating fresh or using in cooking, baking, canning and freezing.
Red Haven is one of the first freestone peaches to ripen each year, Mr. Patterson said. A beautiful redover-yellow fruit with juicy, sweet meat and tender skin, it provides just the right amount of tartness.
Mr. Patterson credits the terrior in the Cumberland Valley for Chambersburg peaches’ remarkable flavor and flesh.
“The valley is filled with limestone and spring water, which make up countless ice- cold springs. The ground is lush and the valley has a consistent flow of migratory avian life. The available nutrients here are outstanding.”
You can preorder Chambersburg peaches on the Wild Purveyors website (wildpurveyors.com) — $25 for a quarter-bushel (approximately 12 pounds) or $45 for a half-bushel (approximately 25 pounds).