Harvest Season 2022 LOCAL FOOD AND FARM GUIDE INSIDE: PreservingPeachespage4 YOUR GUIDE TO FARM STANDS AND FARMERS’ MARKETS
2 | GROWING SEASON 2021 Hours: Dinner Sun, Tue-Thur 4-9 pm , Sat & Sun 4-10 pm , Brunch Sat-Sun 9-2 pm 130 south mason st. - downtown Fort Collins • www. theregionalfood.comSpritzAperol WafflesandChickenCarrot Lox Tastes Like Home...Now Serving Brunch restaurant • oyster bar • craft cocktails All Natural makes all the difference. Everything you eat starts with how it is raised and how it gets to you. Know what you and your family are eating. • Black Angus cattle selected for high marbling genetics, locally farm-raised in large pastures in a low stress environment • NEVER EVER given antibiotics, hormones, or steroids or fed animal by-products • Available by quarter, half, or whole, cut and packaged just the way you want it • Dry-aged 21 days for tender, moist, consistently great flavor.OFFERWE www.blueskyfarmcolorado.com (970) 222-7147 • Rbluesky8@msn.com • Windsor, CO Please request a cutting instruction sheet to place your order. LET US SHARE WHOLESOME, NUTRITIOUS, AND SAFE NATURAL BEEF WITH A TASTE YOU CAN TRUST.
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Ollin Farms 8627 N. 95th St., www.ollinfarms.comLongmont
Heritage Lavender 4809 Foothills Dr., www.heritagelavender.comBerthoud Hoffman Farms, LLC 3545 W. O St., www.hoffmanproduce.comGreeley
Jodar Farms/Fort Collins Vine Farm Order online/pick up Fort Collins or Wellington www.jodarfarms.com Long Shadow Farm Order online/pick up www.longshadowfarm.comBerthoud
Papa Joe’s Honey 4855 W. Eisenhower Blvd., www.facebook.com/PapaJoesLocalHoneyLoveland Raisin’ Roots Farm 2229 W. Vine Dr., Fort www.sunnydazegardens.comCollins
Sunny Daze 901 S. CR 5, Fort www.sunnydazegardens.comCollins
FARM STANDS
OwlTree Farm 4605 E. CR 58, Fort www.owltreefarmco.comCollins
Fort Collins Farmers Market
Desiderata Ranch 4617 CR 2, http://desiderataranch.orgBerthoud Folks Farm & Seed 917 S. Taft Hill Rd., Fort www.folksfarmandseed.comCollins Garden Sweet 719 W. Willox Ln., Fort www.gardensweet.comCollins
Greeley Summer Farmers Market Union Pacific Depot, 902 7th Ave., GR Saturdays, 8am–Noon, May 7–Oct. 29 www.greeleygov.com/fm Larimer County Farmers Market 200 S. Oak St., FC (courthouse parking lot) Saturdays, 9am–1pm, May 21–Oct. www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org29
Green Dog Farm Off CR54G next to Overland Foods, Laporte www.greendogfarmcsa.com Hazel Dell Mushrooms 3925 E. CR 32 (Carpenter Rd.), Fort Collins www.hazeldellmushrooms.com
Loveland West Farmers Market at Jax 2665 W Eisenhower Blvd, LV Tuesdays, 9am–1pm, April 19–Nov. 8 LovelandWestFarmersMarketwww.facebook.com/ Timnath Sunday Market 4138 Main St., Timnath Second Sundays, 9am–2pm, www.TimnathFarmersMarket.orgMay–Oct
Hope Farms 1601 N. Shields St., Fort www.cultivatehopeco.orgCollins
Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park 700 S. Railroad Ave., Loveland Sundays, 9am–1pm June 5–Sept. 25 (except July www.cityofloveland.org/farmersmarket3)
2022 NoCo Farmers Markets
Berthoud Local Farmers Market Fickel Park, 620 Mountain Ave., Berthoud Saturdays, 9am–noon, June 18–Sept. 24 http://berthoudlocal.org Erie Farmers Market Briggs Street between Wells and Moffatt, Erie Thursdays, 5–8pm, May 12–Sept. 8 www.realfarmersmarketco.com Estes Valley Farmers Market Visitor Center, 500 Big Thompson Ave., EP Thursdays, 8am–1pm, June 2–Sept. www.facebook.com/EstesValleyFarmersMarket29
1001 E. Harmony Rd., FC (rain or shine) Sundays, 10am–2pm, May 1–Nov. 13 Wednesdays, 10am–2pm, June 15–Nov. 13 www.fortcollinsfarmersmarket.org
Bartels Farm 3424 E. Douglas Rd., Fort www.thebartelsfarm.comCollins Colorado Fresh Farms 8101 S Timberline Rd, Fort www.coloradofreshfarms.comCollins
On the Vine at Richmond Farms 3611 Richmond Dr., Fort www.onthevineatrichmondfarms.comCollins
Something about being on a farm just feels good. The pace feels relaxed and your interactions, maybe, more genuine. So swing by a farm stand soon and pick up some deliciousness while you’re at it.
Windsor Farmers Market Boardwalk Park, 110 5th St., Windsor Saturdays, 9am–1pm, June 4–Sept. www.windsorgov.com/FarmersMarket3
Native Hill Farm 2100 CR 54G, Fort www.nativehillfarm.comCollins
Tigges Farm 12404 CR 64½, www.tiggesfarm.comGreeley
Canning, Jamming, Freezing, Salsa
Lea Hanson
Choose ripe, mature peaches of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking. Peaches should be firm, or “give” slightly and should have a strong, sweet smell and a yellowish golden background color. To peel, dip peaches in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins.
PREPARING TO PRESERVE PEACHES
PeachesPreserving
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Peaches are for sale everywhere this time of year. We are bom barded with pallets of peaches, encouraged to buy them as fundraisers, EZ Ups on every corner, and more. With our kitchens filled with pallets of peaches, we’re suddenly inundated with the responsibility to do something with them. Luckily, peaches are one of the easiest fruits to preserve using a variety of methods and you can then enjoy them well past the harvest season. Examples include canning, freezing, making salsa, or making preserves. Peaches provide vitamins A and C, are a good source of fiber and are low in calories. One raw medium peach (147 grams) has 50 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol and sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrate, 13 grams of sug ar, 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of pro tein. It provides six percent of your daily vitamin A needs and 15 percent of daily vitamin C needs. One medium peach also contains two percent or more daily value of vitamins E and K, niacin, folate, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Preserving fruit is much easier than most novices think it will be and the tools needed are minimal. Actually, besides purchasing a bulk of canning jars, most people already have utensils that will work in the house. Although many specialty items are for sale, they usually simply make the process easier, but aren’t required to complete the task.
PEACH JAM Yield: About 8 half-pint jars Making jam is usually the task that seems most difficult… but like the processes described above, is easier than most assume. Begin by combining two quarts crushed, peeled peaches and ½ cup water; cook gently for 10 minutes. Add 6 cups sugar; slowly bring to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until thick, about 15 minutes; stir frequently to prevent sticking. Next, pour hot jam into sterilized canning jars, leaving ¼–inchWipeheadspace.jarrimsand adjust lids; they will be quite sticky later if you don’t. Process (seal) jars in a boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 feet. Add 1 minute of processing time for each additional 1,000 feet. Adding pectin is easy simply by fol lowing the manufacturer’s directions on the pectin box.
First, what’s the difference? Hot pack ing is the practice of heating freshly prepared food to boiling, simmering it 2 to 5 minutes, and promptly filling jars loosely with the boiled food. Raw pack ing is more suitable for fruits and vege tables processed in a pressure canner.
HOT PACK AND RAW PACK
To hot pack peaches, first place drained fruit in a large saucepan with syrup, water or juice and bring to boil. Next, fill jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Place peach halves in layers with the cut side facing down. Adjust the jar lids and process in a boiling-water canner: 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts at altitudes up to 1,000 feet.
Yields: Approximately 2 to 2½ pounds peaches for a 1-quart jar. Prepare and boil syrup, using ½ cup (very light), 1 cup (light) or 1¾ cup (medium) sugar per quart of water, de pending on desired sweetness. Or pack peaches in water, apple juice or white grape juice.
CANNING PEACHES (HALVED OR SLICED)
To raw pack, fill hot jars with raw fruit, cut side down, and add hot water, juice, or syrup, leaving ½-inch head space. Adjust the jar lids and process in a boiling water canner: 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts at altitudes up to 1,000 feet.
To sugar pack, start by dissolving ¼ teaspoon ascorbic acid in 3 tablespoons cold water and add to each quart of peaches to slow darkening. Then, add ⅔ cup sugar to each quart (1⅓ pounds) of prepared fruit. Next, stir gently until sugar is dissolved or let stand 15 minutes. Place into containers, seal, label, and freeze.
FREEZING PEACHES Also known as sugar packing Many believe sugar packing is the best way to preserve the taste of fruit.
Cut in half, remove pits and slice, if desired. To prevent darkening, keep peeled peaches in ascorbic acid solution (1 teaspoon or 3000 milligrams ascorbic acid or vitamin C per gallon of water), or use a commercial ascorbic acid mix ture according to directions on package. Drain when ready to process.
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