foodsandflavors~™
Courtney Tevepaugh
Courtney Tevepaugh photo: Pixels On Paper Photography
WRITER/PHOTOS Courtney Tevepaugh Family and Consumer Science Agent, Wilkes County North Carolina Cooperative Extension Courtney_tevepaugh@ncsu.edu Follow along on Facebook @wilkesFCS One great thing about living in the Yadkin Valley is our access to fresh, locally grown peaches. Nothing says summer quite like a peach, or even better peach ice cream on a hot day. Peaches are low-calorie, filled with vitamins A and C, and an excellent source of fiber. They have a low glycemic load which means they will not cause a surge of blood sugar, making peaches a good snack for everyone. To find local peaches download the Visit NC Farms App or spend the day at the Brushy Mountain Peach and Heritage Festival in Wilkesboro on the last Saturday of July. Peaches can be preserved in a variety of ways from freezing to canning, jams, jellies, pickling, and drying. My preference is freezing for ease and the sake of time. However, nothing can quite compare to warm peach butter on a biscuit or popping open a jar of home-canned peaches during the dead of winter.
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Life is Peachy A simple way to freeze peaches is in a sugar pack. Select well-ripened fruit, sort, wash and peel. To each quart add ⅔ cup sugar and mix well. Stir until sugar is dissolved or let stand for 15 minutes. Pack into containers, leave headspace, seal and freeze. To prevent darkening, sprinkle ascorbic acid dissolved in water over the peaches before adding sugar or sprinkle with “Fruit-Fresh”. These instructions are modified from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. For more preservation instructions, contact your local Cooperative Extension Office. Peach dumplings and cobbler are some of my all-time favorite peach recipes. Recently though I’ve been striving to think outside the box and try something new. Which brought me to these fresh peach cookies. Delicious alone or even better made into a sandwich with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If the cookie dough is slightly dry it’s okay to add a tablespoon or two of peach juice or water until it’s to the right consistency. This recipe works best with fresh peaches. If you need to use canned peaches, be sure to drain well and pat dry with a paper towel.
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