Peaches have been ripe for a few weeks now. We ate more than our share for sure – and then I bought three flats of #2 peaches – those are the ones that are starting to get a bit over-ripe, but are perfect for cooking with or making jams and preserves. That’s about 18 pounds of huge peaches! I got 10 cups of preserves and 3 quarts of frozen slices.

What’s the difference between jam, jelly and preserves?

Sometimes it can get confusing which is which. Jelly is pretty easy. It’s made from the strained juice of the fruit. Jam ^[1] is made from mashed fruit. There is still small pieces of fruit it in. And preserves are made with big chunks of the fruit still in it. Jam and preserves have the most fruity taste.

Peeling the peaches – 

Peach skin is tough and doesn’t do well in a jam or preserves. It’s important to remove the skins before you begin.

Start be bringing a large kettle of water to a boil.

Prepare a large bowl with ice and water in it. Make sure the ice bath is ready before you start.

Place three or four peaches into the hot water, making sure they are completely covered. If they aren’t, give them a gentle roll a few times.

After about one to two minutes, lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice bath. Let them sit in the ice for about five minutes.

Move them to a towel to dry and repeat the process until all the peaches have been blanched. You’ll notice the skin lifting slightly.

After they have cooled, use a paring knife to remove the skin. Most of it should just pull off, leaving the majority of the flesh intact. If you are using freestone peaches (the kind that lets the pit come off easily), cut them in half and remove the pit. If they are cling, let them sit until you are ready to cook them.

Making the Preserves – 

Cut the peaches into chunks. If you are using cling, cut carefully around the pit. Simple cut the freestone halves into slices, then cut those in half. Place all the peaches in a large bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Let is sit for at least 30 minutes, but up to a couple of hours. The juices will run out into the bowl.

Pour everything – juice, sugar, peaches – into a large, non-reactive kettle. Stir in the bourbon (this is optional) and lay the rosemary springs into the pan.

Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium for about 30 to 40 minutes. It should be starting to thicken up. Do the plate test (see below). If it passes, remove from the heat and stir in the pouch of pectin. If it doesn’t pass, continue simmering until it does.

Preparing jars – 

Fill a canning kettle with water to just above the tops of the jars. Place the empty jars into a rack and place inside the kettle. Make sure the water goes inside the jars. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave until you are ready to fill the jars.

Place the lids in another pan of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to warm and leave until you are ready to use them. You can put them inside the rings to make them easier to take out of the pan.

Filling and processing the jars of preserves – 

Drain and remove the jars from the water.

Remove and discard the rosemary from the peaches.

Using a ladle or a cup with a spout, fill each one to about 1/2 inch from the top.

Wipe the edges clean. If there is any debris on the edge of the jar it will not create a seal. Place the lid on the top making sure it’s setting directly on the edge. Screw on the lid and tighten, but not too tight.

Using a jar lifter, place each jar back into the water. After all the jars are filled, cover the kettle and bring to a boil. Watch the water! You will start timing as soon as it starts to boil.

Process the jars for 15 minutes (after the boil begins).

                                                               

Lift them out of the water onto a clean towel and let them cool for at least an hour.

Once they are cool, remove the ring to store. They will keep on the shelf for about 6 months. Once they are opened, refrigerate. It will keep for a couple of weeks.

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I bought too many bananas!! Three of them got pretty over-ripe, but it’s simply too hot to turn the oven on to make bread or muffins! Freezing is the only option.

Usually, when I freeze them, they get all mushed together and it’s all or nothing – then I thought – why not do them like I do berries ^[7]?

This will show you how to freeze bananas and use just what you need. You can thaw some later for those muffins or bread, or use a couple frozen to make “ice cream”.

Any way you use them, this method works perfectly!

Freezing Bananas:

Peel the bananas. I tried it once with the peel on and it was really hard to get them off.

Lay waxed paper on a cookie sheet and lay the bananas, in a single layer, on the waxed paper.

Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for at least six hours. Place them in a labeled, ziplock freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. They’ll keep in there for several months.

NOTE: Use only bags made for the freezer. Regular storage bags are not made to withstand the freezing temperatures and the food will not keep. It will get freezer burned really fast.

Oh – and follow this link to see how to make the “ice cream” ^[8].

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© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

I love summer’s berries. We eat them fresh all summer and we want to save some for later in the year. Freezing them saves the sweetness and the frozen berries ^[12] can be used in so many things!

Here’s how you do it:

Most fruits and vegetables require a quick blanching to keep them fresh in the freezer – but no so with berries.

Start by washing them gently, then letting them dry.

I have a cotton dish towel that has been named “the berry towel”. Berries will stain, so this just gets used for drying berries.

Lay them out on a towel or paper towels and let them dry for a couple of hours. You want to make sure there is no water on them that can cause frost to develop while they are in the freezer.

Lay a sheet of wax paper on a sheet pan. Lay the berries, in a single layer on top.

Freeze for three to four hours. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a labeled freezer bag. Make sure the bag is made for the freezer. Regular storage bags don’t protect the berry.

Freezing them on the sheet pan keeps them separated – each berry individual in the bag. This means you can take out what you need without thawing out the whole bag. Great when you like to use them as ice cubes in sparkling water like I do!!

These are boysenberries, but it’s the same process for all berries, including blues.

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

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Are you bored with the same old salads, fruit, and ice cream all summer? If so, you aren’t alone. Most people get tired of eating the same things over and over. But there’s no need to get bored with your diet during this beautiful time of year! Instead, check out these four delicious summer recipe ideas to spice up your diet this season.

BBQ Chicken and Mango Skewers

This recipe is for you if you’re in the mood for some delicious BBQ chicken that’s also low in carbs ^[16]. Regular BBQ chicken has tons of bread crumbs on it, bringing the carb count to sky-high levels. This BBQ chicken is perfect for those on a low-carb diet as it is entirely carb-free and full of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

You’ll only need a few ingredients to make a tasty low-carb BBQ chicken, including chicken breasts, olive oil, BBQ sauce, and salt and pepper.

To make this, simply cut the chicken breasts into cubes, put them in a bowl, and mix them with the BBQ sauce and some salt and pepper to taste. Then, put the chicken onto skewers and place them on a grill for about 10-15 minutes, occasionally turning them until fully cooked.

You can serve the BBQ chicken skewers with sliced mango for the perfect summer meal!

Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa

A delicious BBQ salmon with mango salsa is a great way to get some heart-healthy seafood into your diet ^[17] while enjoying the summer weather. Salmon is an incredibly healthy fish, full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B-12, and D, zinc, selenium, and marine fat (aka omega-3 fatty acids). Making this healthy salmon recipe is easy and can be done on an outdoor grill or inside a grill pan.

First, make the mango salsa by combining chopped mango, diced red pepper, chopped red onion, and chopped cilantro in a bowl. Then, grill the salmon for about 10-12 minutes until fully cooked through, turning once.

Finally, top the grilled salmon with the mango salsa and enjoy! This incredibly delicious tropical treat is easy to make and perfect for summertime!

Lobster Bisque

Lobster bisque is a creamy, decadent, and delicious soup that you can prepare in several ways. It is usually a more complex recipe, but it is the perfect meal for summer when you feel like indulging in more gourmet food. You can prepare a restaurant-quality meal by making this lobster bisque recipe ^[18]. 

You’ll first have to thaw the frozen lobster tails, boil them, and then cook them and remove the meat from the shells.  Then you can make the broth and the bisque, and serve with a slice of bread to finish!

Frozen Fruit Bowls with Creamy Topping

These frozen fruit bowls are a refreshing and delicious treat for hot summer days. They are also packed with nutritional value ^[19], as they are full of vitamins and minerals.

To make these frozen fruit bowls, cut up a variety of fruits. Thing like grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, kiwi, and bananas. Put them into the freezer overnight.

While the fruits are freezing, make the creamy topping by combining cream cheese, vanilla extract, and honey in a bowl. Once the fruits have frozen, take them out of the freezer, top them with the creamy topping, and enjoy!

These bowls are incredibly easy to make and great to cool down on a hot summer day. They’re also very healthy as they are packed with vitamins and minerals and low in fat and calories. Perfect for those who want a guilt-free treat!

Your immune system is really important, especially if you want to make sure that you are likely to live long and to be as healthy ^[23] as possible. It’s a good idea to try and build up your immune system as much as possible, and the good news is that there are plenty of ways you can do just that. One way is to eat foods that are designed to help build up and boost your immune system. So which ones are those? Here are some of the best of these that you might like to consider.

Fruits

First of all, a special mention for fruit. Any fruits out there are basically going to be good for building up your immune system so this is something that you should definitely try to eat as much of as possible. As long as you are eating plenty of fruits, you’ll find that you are a lot healthier on the whole. One way to get more fruit into your diet is to do as Smoothie King ^[24] does and make juices and smoothies out of oranges, kiwis and apples and more. That way, you can get loads of fruit in your system right away.

Garlic

There are not many passionate home cooks or professional chefs who don’t love garlic. It is truly delicious, it goes in a huge number of savory dishes, and it’s easy to use. And it happens to be one of the very best foods you can eat in order to boost your immune system so that is another  reason to eat plenty of it and cook with it. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties, so make sure that you always have some in the house and you should benefit from it in a huge way.

Mushrooms

Who doesn’t love mushrooms ^[25]? Again, they are an ingredient that you can use in so many dishes and in so many ways, and they are actually a lot more versatile than people tend to give them credit for. They are especially useful if you are trying to ward off a cold or flu, so consider adding some mushroom to your chicken soup next time you are feeling a little worse for wear. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference this can make to your health in general, and all just by eating some delicious mushrooms.

Brightly-Colored Vegetables

They say that you should aim to eat a rainbow of vegetables. What they mean by this is that the more you eat of different colors, the more likely it is that you will be getting all the nutrients and minerals that you really need. In particular, brightly-colored vegetables are likely to be particularly good for this, so those are the ones to aim for as much as possible.

With more of those in your diet, you will be able to expect a much stronger immune system in general – and it’s definitely worth doing it for that reason.