Organic Peach Harvest Time! Fave Kitchen Re-Do From Design On A Dime

Peach Harvest Time!
Happy dance, we finally have peaches! Two years ago we added a peach tree to our front yard, detailed here How To Add A Fruit Tree To Your Landscaping . Last year we had one peach, this year it's a BUMPER CROP!  I think the wet spring helped. I chose the Red Haven variety as it is a freestone (pit comes out easily), ripens early (since we have 2 other fruit trees) and is a thin-skinned peach. less fuzz. The last time I made anything it from local peaches was 2012 More Peach Jam . We lost our nectarine tree, and had an amazing peach tree at our last house 10+ years ago. It was a long wait but worth it! We've been eating them fresh, and I made a peach milkshake last night! OMG!!! Yummy. I used this low sugar recipe last time and it was a keeper, just buy the low sugar pectin -Easy Low Sugar Peach Jam. I do make a small part pf the batch "spiced", add some cinnamon and cloves. Tastes like a peach pie :) Anya said all the peach processing sounded exhausting-

Then she took a nap in my enamel washbasin for picking-

We realized today the squirrels were after the peaches so we picked all of them. We already froze 10 one gallon bags last week. I am taking Tuesday off work to process more, if the kids haven't picked up the rest. The rest are inside where it's safe and cooler. I want to make a peach bread too this weekend. Lots of recipe online. First I got out my jars and supplies, set up the processing areas, disinfected the sink, etc.- 

Cooling area

Cleaned jars

Where I will fill jars, easier to cover, then wash

Cooking-

I love the color of the jam! I made 14 1/2 pints, 2 pints, not bad for a few hours work!

I made 2/3 regular and 1/3 spiced, all labeled. It's fun to hear the pinging of the lids. While some don't do this I follow the old method- put boiling jam into hot, sterilized jars, seal, turn upside down for about 15 minutes. Turn back over, put on a cooling rack. As they cool the seals ping. Easy for jams and jellies. I've never had a seal fail this way.

We realized today the squirrels were after the peaches so we picked all of them. We already froze 10 - one gallon bags last week. I am taking Tuesday off work to process more, if the kids haven't picked up the rest. The rest are inside where it's safe and cooler. I want to make a peach bread too this weekend. Lots of recipe online. I also need to blanch and freeze collard greens, kale and make pesto to freeze. Tuesday will be busy preserving foods! It's amazing to cut up fruit, still warm from the tree, throw it in a pot and preserve! Talk about local! It will be nice to have the apples too, when they get ripe. Pears as well. It's been a great harvest year. Tomatoes are getting there slowly, lot there but green. Peppers doing well, eating batches of green beans weekly.

Love the color! Red haven indeed!

My peach crisp last weekend was great!

Fave Kitchen Re-Do From Design On A Dime-

I recently checked out the Design On A Dime book from the library for some bedroom ideas. I spotted this and remembered it from years ago. How cute, bright and colorful! Just paint, new pendant lights, art, mini curtains, small accessories and lots of vibrant colors. They were shooting for a colorful old world bistro look, sorry for the lighting on the photos. Link here Kitchen On A Dime

Painted canvas floor mat, love it!

Nice dressed up seating area