Tag Archives: harvest

peachy! peachy! peachy!

peachy! peachy! peachy!

it’s time once again to harvest the peaches and enjoy The Transformative Power of A Real Peach ( and a little heavy whipping cream ). if you’re able to get the chance you should experience a peach fresh off a tree. amazing.

we’ve pulled maybe 4 dozen peaches off the tree in the past week and there’s at least as many yet to be picked and that’s with plenty of evidence laying around that the squirrels are taking quite a few. there’s such a bounty that we don’t even have to resort to balloon peach decoys!

i see some grilled peaches with balsamic vinegar and caramelized brown sugar in my future.

the 2013 raspberry harvest begins!

the 2013 raspberry harvest begins! I.

they’re a little delayed this year because of the cool, wet spring, but the raspberries from the garden are finally coming in!

the 2013 raspberry harvest begins! II.

we picked maybe about a gallon today and it’s only the beginning. we’ll freeze most of them for winter smoothies but i’m sure we’ll enjoy them while they are in season. i am particularly fond of berries covered in organic valley half and half or heavy whipping cream.

picking perfect peaches!

picking perfect peaches!

i didn’t think we’d get any peaches this year, what with the brutal frost while the blossoms were out and the devastating drought over the summer. but lo! they survived, and dare i say, thrived. we have so many peaches this year that we didn’t even have to deploy balloon decoy peaches. the squirrels have taken their share and left us with plenty 🙂

and so, once again, we get to enjoy The Transformative Power of A Real Peach ( and a little heavy whipping cream ).

day 2608: The Great Peach Harvest.

day 2608: The Great Peach Harvest. I.

i think it’s safe to call kris and odin’s crazy balloon peach decoy idea an unqualified success. last year i got to enjoy one peach and this year we have lots and lots of not decoy peaches!

as best as i can tell, the only difference is the balloons. seriously considering some small design changes for next near to make them a little more peach-like – smaller and peachier and a little firmer of a balloon so you can increase the air pressure so they really POP!

day 2608: The Great Peach Harvest. II.

we’ve pulled about 70 or 80 peaches off the tree which is really incredible considering the fact that we pruned the tree so far back in the spring that i thought we wouldn’t get any fruit at all this year ( the typical recommendation is to not prune more than 30% of the tree and after not pruning for a few years we decided to take off more than 60% ).

i’ve had some people ask what type of peach tree we planted. looking back, i see it was a reliance peach tree, which is supposedly the most cold hardy peach available and definitely suitable for wisconsin and minnesota. it’s primarily considered a “canning” peach but i think it tastes Just Grand right off the tree. red havens are also cold hardy and i hear some folks claim they are better tasting off the tree ( hard to imagine how that is possible ).

day 2608: The Great Peach Harvest. III.

to get the best of both worlds, i think we might try grafting a red haven on to our tree, although it looks like it might take some skill to get it to take.

any and all grafting advice would be mightily appreciated.

day 2608: The Great Peach Harvest. outtake.

you see that smile? that’s odin’s “okay, really, poppi knock off taking pictures and lend a hand” smile 🙂