Sept 20: Peach Jam

If you haven't seen last year's peach-week photos, check them out here. There's more of a story in that set, as well as some nice images.

Below are some snapshots from this season's harvest.

Just jam this year.

160 mini jars. 1.5oz
5 dozen small jars. 4oz

22 medium jars. 8oz

650oz total.

For those who like to count, here's your chance*. (*see note at end)

Aren't the little ones cute?
We're designing labels too.

All fancy with some lighting, balancing ambient (fluorescent) with one remote speedlight.

There are still some peaches left for immediate enjoyment.
As my mom said earlier this weekend, 'Something about making jam is just... love & happiness.'
*contented sigh*

Time to go peel a few more for dessert.



*note*
Not all of the cans were photo'd. Some were packed for shipment before the photo. I apologize for this number-crunching disappointment.

Sept 17-21: Peach Harvest

As the sun sets on summer, the peaches ripen in the back yard.

They are soft to touch, sweet to smell, delicious to taste, and of course, stunning to see.

They number in the 100s, filling all bowls.

Each peach is pitted, peeled, and diced by hand.

The diced pieces are beautiful, just like the raw peaches.

The kitchen is trashed, with an assembly line of whole fruit, scraps, diced fruit, and miscellaneous tools and ingredients.

The diced peaches are chopped finely in preparation for making jam.

Sugar and pectin join the slurry on the stove.

The boiling jam is poured into cans.

The cans self-seal with heat.

Each batch produces 2.5 pints of jam.

14.5 pints are made the first day, in just a few hours.

The diced peaches are also used for fresh pie.

Raspberries are the secret ingredient.

The pie wins no award for appearance, but takes grand prize for taste.

Pre-mixed pies are prepared and frozen, to be enjoyed when peaches are no longer in season.

The remaining peaches are diced and frozen, to be used throughout the year.

The final tally: 485 peaches processed, 39 jam jars filled, 3 pies baked, 10 pies frozen, 16 bags of fruit frozen.

The numbers would be higher, but much of the crop is spoiled by birds, bugs, weather...

And tortoises.

The last peach of 2009 has been picked and processed. Summer is truly over.