Peach piking time in Vermont

[CalG]

Peach picking time in Vermont

The ripe fruit was plopping to the ground this morning as I had coffee.

Time to pick .. Last year it was the 15th, so the time of season seems right.

I estimate I plucked about 80 # of near perfect fruit in just less than two hours. The tree is on a terrace, with lots of ladder positioning to make the task a challenge.

5 full lugs, two five gal pails and a bunch or paper board boxes. The kitchen is filled with the smell of ripe peaches.
The wind falls and those I knocked off while carefully picking (about 2 gallons) is stewing to paste now, to be semi dried as "fruit leather". A favorite for our kids, even now that they are grown and out.

Next year we will have three trees maybe four producing. I can't imagine.. I already brought a box down to the neighbor.

 

[RNeumann]

Time for something like this-
Zenport AG412 Agrikon Fruit Picking Bag, 65-Pound, Harvest Apple/Citrus Amazon.com : Zenport AG412 Agrikon Fruit Picking Bag, 65-Pound, Harvest Apple/Citrus : Patio, Lawn & Garden

My father in law has a bunch of citrus and avocado he uses to barter. It's a fun time of year for him when he is picking his 12 or so trees. He thinks his bag/apron is a must.

 

[s219]

The rip fruit was plopping to the ground this morning as I had coffee.

Time to pick .. Last year it was the 15th, so the time of season seems right.

I estimate I plucked about 80 # of near perfect fruit in just less than two hours. The tree is on a terrace, with lots of ladder positioning to make the task a challenge.

5 full lugs, two five gal pails and a bunch or paper board boxes. The kitchen is filled with the smell of ripe peaches.
The wind falls and those I knocked off while carefully picking (about 2 gallons) is stewing to paste now, to be semi dried as "fruit leather". A favorite for our kids, even now that they are grown and out.

Next year we will have three trees maybe four producing. I can't imagine.. I already brought a box down to the neighbor.

How do you process them? We get about 20-30# from a local orchard every 1-2 weeks (they have a few varieties that ripen at different times) and it's a race to eat, bake, and freeze them every time before they go bad. I can't complain, especially with the great cobblers my wife makes.

 

[CalG]

Processing is the down side. But one gets to smell and taste to the hearts content.

As mentioned, a couple gallons of fruit is now being made to fruit leather. My wife is blending the cooked halves now. fruit leather is the fall back for when the fruit is starting to go, and the bruised ones. The extra sweetness just adds to the flavor.

Tomorrow, we will can up a dozen quarts of halves.
Then the plan is to do 1/2 dozen pie filling frozen preforms. Put a couple of peach crisp fixings in the freezer. We also just freeze bags of slices. Not bad for cooking with all winter, but nothing like fresh.
It's going to difficult to use them all to the best purpose, but if some go to the compost pile, we won't be heartbroken. We just talked about "if we have a big year with all the trees, we will need to look at sending them farther away. Get more friends to give them to or something ;-)

Cobbler is on the counter dished up for when we settle our supper. ;-)

 

[newbury]

I was wondering what "Peach piking" was, I had visions of you stabbing them with a pike

 

[CalG]

I was wondering what "Peach piking" was, I had visions of you stabbing them with a pike

It was suppose to be "pik'in", but I guess some if it didn't make the cut ;-)

 

[smstonypoint]

You're lucky. A late freeze wiped out most of the SC crop.

Steve

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

You must have some sort of greenhouse you move them to?
Sounds delicious. I'll trade you for some amazingly good heritage apples...?

 

[CalG]

You must have some sort of greenhouse you move them to?
Sounds delicious. I'll trade you for some amazingly good heritage apples...?

Move 'em? That would be a lot of digging! ;-) This tree has been where it is about 10 years (I forget, there was an apricot before that )

Reliance variety , Hardy for the New England winters.
Skins slip with no blanching , and free stone. Plus they are juicey, and taste great!

Reliance Peach - Peach Trees - Stark Bro's

 

[cqaigy2]

Oh man, i love tree ripe peaches! They're hard to get to ripen on the west side of the state. When i lived in eastern washington, we had loads of fruit trees, apple, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, and pears.