Dried or Frozen...

Either will do for me! This morning I pitted, skinned and sliced one of the larger peaches and put the pieces on parchment paper which is placed on a cookie sheet and the oven will do the rest. I set the oven at 120º–150º and it will take about 6-8 hours until they are ready to pop into a bag to save for a treat this winter. We just "might" let a slice or two rehydrate on our tongues for a quick energy munch as well.

Three more were pitted, skinned, and quartered. I submerged them in a bowl of two cups water and two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon for about 10 minutes. They were then patted dry with a paper towel and transferred to another parchment paper covered cookie sheet and placed in the freezer. When they are solidly frozen I'll put them together in a freezer plastic bag for further use. These three large peaches make the exact number of cups called for in my cobbler and pie recipes. Frozen peaches, like most frozen fruit, aren't very good to eat raw once they're totally thawed but they are excellent for baking. This method leaves them with a pleasant texture and it's a taste of summer heaven at a time of year when juicy peaches are a distant memory.

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I have two peaches left and the peach projects are now complete. We'll eat those!

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Loring: large, round peach with attractive red-blushed skin. Yellow, firm and melting flesh with medium texture, moderately juicy with excellent flavor. Soft when canned or frozen; freestone.