By Marty Meitus
Scripps Howard News Service
In Colorado, no crop is more welcome than peaches.
Barring rain, sleet, frost or hail, this year's crop is expected to be very good, with 16 million to 17 million pounds of peaches.
"You never count your dollars until the fruit is sold and the money is in your hand," says Harold Larsen with Colorado State University Extension Service. "You can have things go wrong any step of the way."
If all goes well, Colorado peaches will be available in quantity until mid-September, when the crop begins to taper off. Here are some tips for choosing peaches and some quick-hit recipes, followed by recipes from the various cookbooks of the Junior League of Denver. (All Junior League of Denver Cookbooks may be purchased at www.jld.org/cookbooks.cfm or by calling 800-552-9244 or 303-782-9244.)
Peachy tips
- Avoid peaches with green on them.
- Do not store unripe peaches in the refrigerator. Peaches that have been stored too long at cold temperatures will turn brown or mushy from the inside out. A cold injury damages the ripening capability, says Larsen.
- Choose fruit that smells fragrant and gives to gentle pressure.
- Although you don't have to peel peaches in recipes, most people like to remove the skin. If it doesn't come off easily, make a small crisscross with a knife on the end of the peach, boil for 30 seconds, remove the peach with tongs and put it in a bowl of ice water. The peel should slip off.
Cooking tips
- Slice a peach into a glass of red wine. Use a spoon to eat the peach and then sip the wine. The wine enhances the flavor of the peach.—The Way We Cook, Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven (Houghton Mifflin)—Cut six unpeeled peaches into thick slices and overlap in a broiler-proof buttered dish. Sprinkle peaches with three tablespoons brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle peaches with three tablespoons heavy cream. Broil one minute.—The Way We Cook, Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven (Houghton Mifflin)
- Cut a peach in half; remove the pit. Fill the center with almond paste or macaroon crumbs. Grill or broil.—The Farmers' Market Guide to Fruit, Jenni Fleetwood (Sourcebooks Inc.)
- Place two cups of blueberries in a saucepan with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; lower heat and cook 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the syrup.
Cut four peaches in half and remove pits. Sprinkle with two tablespoons sugar and place in a pan with a little water. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Serve with hot blueberry syrup poured over the center.—
Desserts 1-2-3, Rozanne Gold (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
(Contact Marty Meitus of the Rocky Mountain News at www.rockymountainnews.com.)
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