Fruity Fun Friday- Peaches

Yea- Peaches! We've been getting some pretty nice peaches in the grocery store and I think I'm about to start growing fuzz since I've been eating so many. Peaches are actually available most of the year, depending on the variety. The third most popular fruit grown in the United States, peaches were first cultivated in China centuries ago where they were thought to endow longevity. Peaches were traded along the Silk Road long before Christian times and came to us by way of Persia and the Mediterranean. Peaches are in the rose family, which makes sense when you stand in the market sniffing lovingly over the peaches. But maybe I tell too much about myself ...

Select peaches at market that are soft to the touch but not mushy, free of blemishes, and with a fragrant aroma. (See, there's a reason my nose and I linger over the peaches). Some peaches have a reddish blush to them but that indicates the variety not how they will taste or their ripeness.

Peaches may be ripened on the counter in a paper bag for a couple of days or in a cool place other than the refrigerator, stem down. Check them every day and once they have a pleasant peach fragrance and give just a bit to a light touch, store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. Hard peaches kept in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag, or in direct sunlight will not ripen.

by wanderingnome via Flickr



The Seasonal Chef (there's a link in the sidebar under Butterflies Gotta Eat Too) has a nice page on their site about freezing peaches.  Just think about how they would taste in the middle of winter when the power has been off and you are "forced" to eat them. Click here for that page. Simply Canning has a page with an excellent tutorial on canning peaches. Check it out here.

by Chrstopher via Flickr

A medium size peach has about 40 calories, 9 grams of sugar, plenty of fiber (and roughage in the skin), and virtually no fat (less than 1 gram).

So let's eat.

Peach Enchiladas comes to us from Dickey Farms in Musella, Georgia, home to the country's oldest continuously operating peach packinghouse. Hit that link for the website, which has lots of good info on the care and eating of peaches as well as tons of recipes. I mean TONS.

You will need:

2 packages of crescent rolls

2 sticks of butter (I know, Paula Deen all over the place)
4 peaches, peeled and quartered (OK, I didn't peel)

1 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1 cup and this was plenty sweet)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 can of Mountain Dew (12 oz)

• 
  
   Melt the butter, then add the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

• Unroll crescents one at a time and place one peach quarter on each at the wide end. This shows two slices because I halved the quarters. You don't need to do that.

• 
  
  Roll from wide end to small.

• 
  
  Each peach quarter will be a little football-shaped papoose.

  

 

• 
  
  Place the rolled peaches in a 12 x 12 pan and pour the melted butter mixture over them once they are all rolled.

• 
  
  Then pour the Mountain Dew over the top.

• 
  
  Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes until nice and golden.

• 
  
  Serve with ice cream or whipped topping. Tastes like cobbler.

So there you have it- Fruity Fun Peach Enchiladas. Who knew? Think I'll get some peaches in the freezer for a bit of psychological relief about mid-winter when the snow is flyin' and cabin fever is mounting.

Have a great day and welcome to October!

Have you done a check of your heating system?

Now's the time.