Tricks, Tips and a Recipe
Everything is peachy keen
By: Leanne Ely
Happy Tuesday, Y’all!
It’s time once again for Tricks, Tips and a Recipe. Today you’ll learn a tip, a trick and you’ll get a great recipe to try it out with. Neat, huh?
Don’t forget tomorrow is the radio show, Saving Dinner with the Dinner Diva! The show is on every Wednesday at noon EST and is almost always LIVE. Bookmark this page and show up tomorrow–www.blogtalkradio.com/flylady and remember you can call in LIVE with your questions–about food, cooking, nutrition, anything you can think of! If you can’t listen live, you can always listen to the archives and now you can even send in your questions and listen to Leanne answer them on a future show! Just email Dear Leanne at Saving Dinner dot com.
Today’s focus is on PEACHES 
Peaches are starting to come in season and for most people, the intoxicating aroma of peaches signals that summer is really and truly here. This sweet, tasty and juicy fruit is thought to have originated in China. It grows in hot subtropical climates like Georgia and I know we’ve all heard of Georgia peaches!
Peaches don’t ripen after they are harvested so they must be harvested at peak ripeness for eating fresh. Otherwise they are great for jams, pies, and canning.
A healthy fruit, only about 50 calories for a medium sized peach, they’re packed with vitamins A and C and are a great source of fiber. The fiber will be higher if you eat the peel, but make sure it’s organic first! Peaches also contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and folate, a B vitamin that is essential to development and preservation of new cells.
Here’s Today’s TRICK:
Creamy to gold undertones on a peach indicate ripeness, not the redness of color. Your peach should smell good, have a nice crease, and a fuzzy, soft skin. Remember, you cannot buy unripe peaches and wait for them to get ripe, they only ripen on the tree.
Here’s a TIP:
If you’ve let your peaches get overripe, make chutney! (recipe below)
And your RECIPE:
Crock Cooker Spicy Peach Chutney
Makes 3 pints
4 pounds sliced peeled overripe peaches
1 cup raisins
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 ounces chopped preserved ginger (found in the ethnic section of your store)
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups packed brown sugar
4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pickling spice (place in cheesecloth and tie shut)
Place everything in a crockpot and cook on high 4 hours. Allow to cool, give it a stir and divvy up into pint sized containers. You can freeze for a later date if you like. Serve on grilled meat or poultry. Delish!
Another great place to use peaches is in a smoothie! Our Summer Smoothie Menus are great for using those fresh summer fruits, pick yours up today!
