I realize that some of you may disagree (you're idiots you simply have incorrect different opinions), but Texas peaches are the best in the world. And that's REAL Texas peaches. Not that crap you usually find in the stores, but the kind that you have to find a farmer to get. Or go to a real Farmer's Market. Or do my favorite, find a roadside stand.
Now, this year we had several unfortunate events that severely limited our supply of these luscious fruits - a series of late freezes and a huge hail storm. Peaches are fragile beings and do not care for anything other than their kind of weather. So, alas, we had to branch out to find peaches this year.
Enter our friends at Cooper Farms. Okay, we don't really know them, but Texans are just friendly that way. The people at Cooper Farms are clearly brilliant marketers. They have billboards and other signs all over I-45 telling people that they not only have Texas peaches for sale but also that you can get them at both exits in Fairfield, Texas. And then, to make it even easier, they have they have box trucks with their farm logos and big pictures of peaches staked out at the exits. I'm sure they do heavy business during the Summertime. Heck, I know I was thrilled to not have to convince Mark to drive 20 miles off of the interstate to get to a farm just so I could get some of my beloved peaches. They had other farm fresh produce there too, but I ignored that. All I wanted was this:
You know that song from the Animaniacs about the "Wonderful World of Cheeses?" Well, I'm singing that but changing "cheeses" to "peaches." You're welcome.
This is what a 20 pound box of peaches looks like. The box was $35, which seems to be a normal price for a 20 pound box. Now, these aren't exactly what I think of when I think of Texas peaches. Why, you ask? Because they're too big. Texas peaches are typically not much bigger than a golf ball. These are more like a big baseball or tennis ball. I forgot what variety they are as well. However, they are freestone (which is important) and tasted fantastic. My only complaint is that the skins were bitter and kind of nasty. I'm not really sure why that is and am guessing that it has something to do with the variety and whatever they sprayed onto them. The box was also only about 2/3 full, which is not a true 20 pound box in my book.
I picked a box that was not as ripe as I wanted to make preserves out of them. These still were ripe enough to make the car smell like peaches for the entire trip home. And to infuse a wonderful scent into our house until I had them all processed. I managed to make two full batches of preserves from this box, as well as three gallon bags of pieces for ice cream, cake, cobbler, etc... later, and even save eight to eat.
Tune in tomorrow to see the preserving process.
If you're looking for a peaches song, The Presidents of the USA have a good one.
Posted by: Munchkin Mom | Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 09:02 PM