Sweet Carolina Peaches

I had never eaten a fresh peach before moving to Asbury. I guess, I was always afraid of the fuzzy exterior. However, times they are a changin'. Bryan and Bridget have about six or seven peach trees on their property, and as Mr. Ray (Bryan's dad) says, "Ashley, it's us against them squirrels, and I aim for us to win." So, I have become totally obsessed with peaches!

First, I had to learn how to make peaches with syrup. Pretty simple...just add sugar and water.
Next, I made peach muffins, but Steven thought that they tasted too healthy, so we had to make them into mini funnel cakes. He took them to work. We will do anything to impress the boss ;)

Then, I made my first peach cobbler for our Tuesday night Bible study. Well, I guess it wasn't my first cobbler...I made one on Monday, but I left it in the oven the whole time we were downstairs having dinner. It was totally scorched, but my sweet husband had a few bites anyway. Trial and error, people.

My next peach attempt was for a lady in our church who is helping sponsor a bake sale for a child with special needs. I thought I would make a peach cake (Paula Dean recipe) to contribute. I spent a hour or so getting all of the ingredients prepared and mixed properly. After popping the cake in the oven, I sat down on the sofa to read a book. Tragedy can strike so quickly...ten minutes into baking time, the power went out. I kept thinking, "It's gotta come back on in a minute." Twenty-five minutes passed before the power returned. All the while, the cake I had spent so much time on sat partially cooked in the oven. I decided to reset the oven, and let the cake continue to bake like nothing had happened. When the timer went off, this is what I got out of the oven...

It looked beautiful, and I felt blessed. I let it cool for thirty minutes, and then turned it over out of the tube pan and onto my cake holder. That's when the explosion occurred. The top half had browned and looked completely done. I even put a toothpick through the top, and it seemed perfect. However, the bottom half was a gooey mess. I'm talking goo everywhere :( I wish I had taken a picture, but I was otherwise engaged at the moment. I plan on trying this again next week. I'll let you know how it goes...

Today, I made four large jars worth of Sweet Carolina Peach Jam. It was way easier than I thought it would be. You need to pick around 25 peaches, quarter them (peel on), and put them in a food processor. Then, add a quartered orange and lemon (peel on) and process them until the mixture is smooth. After processing, put the mixture into a large Dutch Oven and add EIGHT cups of sugar...you heard me EIGHT! Let the mixture come to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. You must stir it a lot in order for it not to stick. Below are a few pictures of the process and the finished product. Steven thought it tasted good, which is all that really mattered, right? Happy peaching!