In Washington State, fresh Elberta peaches would begin appearing in local markets in September, but in July, in California, we have just begun to see fresh peaches for home use coming in from Fresno, Tulare and Madera, where processing peaches are grown mostly in the Fresno area.
I had friends stop by my home on the way from Fresno to Oregon last week and I was gifted a lug of beautiful Elegant Lady peaches, almost more than I alone could use. Peaches for market are sold by “lug” size—a 40-lug holds 40 peaches, and a 60-lug size holds 60 peaches—enough for 8-quart canning jars.
Rarely will you find “ready to eat” peaches in the marketplace. I have found it takes 4-5 days sitting in a basket on my kitchen counter to become ready to eat. Because of the soft flesh of a ripe peach, peaches are picked green in order to pack and ship properly. If you want a ready to eat peach, farmers markets would be the most likely place to shop.
My kitchen has held a basket of Elegant Ladies, waiting for them to ripen, for the last five days. Every morning I check them, ready to turn these “ladies” into a peach “crumble,” as well as a jar of freezer jam. I will save a few to slice and cover with cream in a bowl for breakfast.
If I am barbecuing and happen to have an extra peach or two, I cut them in half, leaving their skin on, lightly wipe them with oil and place the half cut-side down on the grill for about five minutes. Absolutely delicious with grilled pork chops.
California state agricultural laws are such that fresh fruit cannot be brought into California across the Oregon, Arizona or New Mexico borders because of plant health and pest prevention laws. There are 16 of these checkpoints surrounding California, from the 101 Highway in Smith River, Ore., down to Winter Haven on the I-8 highway in southern California.
Arnold Farms Elegant Ladies peach orchards in Fresno are directly across the road from Dole’s processing plant. Peaches picked that day are processed immediately resulting in flash frozen fruit that is hard to distinguish from freshly picked.
In the 1940s, each September uncle would bring home a lug or two of Elberta peaches for aunt to can. As a little 7- or 8-year-old, my aunt Betty would sit me down before that lug of peaches, and, with a bowl on my lap and small knife, I would sit all morning, peeling those peaches.
Elbertas were “freestone,” meaning the flesh would separate easily from the stone or pit inside. Aunt’s kitchen was hot and steamy, and as soon as we had enough peeled to fill 6-quart jars, aunt would screw on the lids and lower those jars into a water bath that was boiling away atop that wood-burning stove.
There we would sit, aunt and me, peeling those peaches with their juice dripping from my small elbows. Aunt would hum or tell me stories of her life growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, who at my age, could drive a team of horses and wagon, as well as any of “them menfolk,” she would brag.
My reward for that day’s work would be a bowl of fresh peach crumble, still warm from that old black stove’s oven, along with thick cream poured over.
This evening, while eating a bowl of peach crumble, I closed my eyes, envisioning aunt and me, peeling away that beautiful red skin from those peaches. I remembered aunt telling me, as my little hand would reach down into that jar placing peach halves in place, to “pack ‘em tight, no room to waste,” aunt would say. Oh, I remember, I remember so well.
Aunt Betty’s Peach Crumble
Butter an 8”x8” baking dish and set aside.
Peel and slice 6 large ripe peaches (about 6-7 cups) one-third inch thick.
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. coconut or regular Rum
Mix well and set aside.
TOPPING
In a bowl add:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Stir together.
Add to flour mixture:
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) cold butter, cubed.
Cut in butter until crumbly and then stir in
1 cup quick cooking Oats.
Pour peaches into baking dish and distribute topping mixture evenly over peaches.
Dot topping with additional 8 pieces of butter.
Bake in a preheated 375deg. oven 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
Serve with heavy cream poured over while still warm.
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at cz****@co*****.net .
