peaches Archives - Very EATalian

I’m not sure how my dad ended up buying 70 euro worth of peaches the other day…but he did. When he triumphantly opened the trunk of his car showing us (with much pride) the purchase he made, my mom and I didn’t exactly react the way he was expecting we would.

How the heck are we gonna eat all those peaches before they go bad??

It turned out the gazillion of baskets he brought home didn’t only contain peaches, but they were also hiding a bunch of nectarines and plums. There was no way we could eat them all. So we kept some to eat, we gave some away and with the remainder I made a LOT of jam (3 kinds of jams, to be exact). Because of the unfortunate timing (these days the weather here in Italy is incredibly hot … and, no, I don’t have AC in the kitchen) and the colossal amount of fruit, making jam turned out to be a real enterprise. I’m sure it won’t be the case for you, if you decide to do it! It’s fun, rewarding, and not difficult at all…It only takes 3 ingredients, 2 or 3 hours of your time, and some stirring.

We typically eat jam for breakfast – with bread and butter – but it can be used as filling for lots of desserts (cookies, crepes, crostatas, galettes…you name it). You can even use it to glaze meat or simply pair it with cheese. I like to buy plain yogurt and add a a dollop of jam in it (I prefer it over any other “naturally” flavored commercial versions).

Bottom line: be creative with it. Jam is pretty versatile. And pretty darn delicious.

When life gives you (tons of) peaches… make jam!

Homemade Peach Jam

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 20 mins

Recipe type: Spread

Serves: 10-12 half pint jars

Ingredients

3 kg (6.6 lb) peaches, washed well
1.2 kg (2.6 lb) sugar
1½ lemons

Instructions

Cut peaches in slices and discard pits.
Place cut peaches in a big pot over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, add sugar and lemon. Stir occasionally and bring to a full boil.
Cook peaches until very soft, stirring often to prevent scorching. Once peaches have become quite mushy (this will require a couple of hours), blend them using a handheld blender (this will make make the mixture denser). The jam is done when it falls heavily from the spoon. If not done, continue cooking and try again.
Transfer hot jam into hot sterilized jars (*see notes) using a clean jam funnel. Fill hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Screw sterilized lids on to seal jars. Turn jars upside down and let them reach room temperature.

Notes

-Although I didn't do it for my jam, it's always better to blanch fruit and peel it, before cutting it.
-I sterilized the empty jars by placing them in the oven at 265F for about 15 minutes. I also boiled the lids for a few minutes. Please check safety standards and canning guidelines here: http://nchfp.uga.edu//publications/publications_usda.html

I’m a HUGE fan of picnics—perhaps, I’m the most enthusiastic “picnic-ER” you’ll ever meet and I have tons of good memories from past family outings. When I was little, I used to love singing in the car with my parents. Then, as I grew older, the excitement was mainly for the games we’d play all together, or the places we explored and hiked. These days, it’s simply about enjoying each other’s company in the middle of nature. Food definitely plays a good part in making the whole event more pleasant.

Ever since I got back to Italy, I’ve been wanting to go on a picnic with the whole family SO badly. Unfortunately, not everybody’s schedule seems to line up (at least for this month)…so I tried to compensate. A few days ago, despite the chilly weather, I decided to gather whomever was around, grab a table and a few chairs and set out an impromptu picnic in my dad’s orchard, a few steps beyond our fence. It’s definitely not a wild or picturesque mountain scenery, nonetheless a nice and enjoyable place–conveniently located next door! I’m surprised it took us so many years to realize it’s more than just a place for foraging or taking walks.

My mom and I teamed up and prepared all the food in the morning. We made a farro salad with sautéed veggies, a nice and soft focaccia bread, a few crispy eggplant fritters, and a beautiful rustic peach crostata. Not bad for an improvised get-together! We also quickly boiled a few eggs (a must for any picnic) and we packed them up in our cute picnic basket (I love that thing!). I made coffee as well, as I really wanted to use this tacky-but-kinda-adorable coffee thermos I found in the basement. Then, I loaded a couple of folding chairs, a little table and a couple of blankets on a wheel barrel and I carried everything to the orchard. The rest of the group followed me with the food.

We had a fun and relaxing lunch and it was so nice to be together, under the shade of my dad’s trees. It’s a meaningful place for my family as those trees were planted by my dad and grandfather. They were little twigs and now they’re full sized trees! Amazing.

Everybody raved about my crostata. The crust was nicely colored and perfectly textured: it was buttery, delicate, and flaky. I used Saturn peaches as filling and was able balance their very sweet flavor with a good amount of lemon juice and the tartness of a few cherries. Visually speaking, the crostata is colorful and imperfectly beautiful…in a word: rustic!! This recipe is absolutely a keeper and I’ll definitely make it again soon, before peach season is over.

Rustic Peach Crostata

Prep time

1 hour 45 mins

Cook time

55 mins

Total time

2 hours 40 mins

Author: Adapted from Bon Appétit, July 2002

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

-CRUST
1⅔ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (42 g) polenta flour (coarse cornmeal)
3 Tbsp (42 g) sugar
¼ lemon peel, grated (use about ½ lemon)
¾ tsp (4 g) salt
14 Tbsp (200 g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
⅓ cup (75 ml) ice water
-FILLING
¼ cup (57 g) sugar
1½ tsp (5 g) cornstarch
4 medium saturn peaches, each pitted and cut into slices
a handful of cherries, pitted
½ lemon, juiced
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
Raw sugar crystals
Peach preserves, heated

Instructions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a processor and blend for 5 seconds. Add butter and blend just until butter is reduced to pea-size pieces. Add ice water. Blend until dough comes together in moist clumps (adding more water if dough is dry). Form a ball (adding more flour, if necessary) and flatten into disk. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Let dough soften slightly at room temperature and roll it on lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, turning it occasionally to prevent sticking. Transfer onto a round baking pan (the edges will probably stick out). Chill until dough firms slightly, about 15 minutes.
Mix fruit, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl. Let stand until juices are released, stirring fruit occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Take dough out of the fridge. Spoon fruit and juices into center of dough leaving out the edges. Lift about 2 inches of dough border and fold it down over fruit. Brush folded border with egg glaze; sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake until crust is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven and brush fruit with peach preserves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

To ensure a flaky crust, be careful not to overwork the butter.