Apple Harvest Time

 It is the height of apple season in New England.  The orchards are showing a great variety right now.  Nearly any apple you could want you can get for the next week or so.  Columbus Day is usually the peak of apple picking time simply because of the many kinds you can get.
   
In Tolland, CT., I have already visited our local orchard four times.  I have been making everything from applesauce to fruit leather.  This year I purchased a dehydrator from Nesco,
and it has been used quite a bit already.  It is so new that it takes about half the time to dehydrate as what is recommended.

So far I have dehydrated oregano, cranberries, and of course apples. The apple slices have become one of my favorite snacks to grab.  This morning I had a wonderful fruity oatmeal for breakfast.  It was a great way to start my busy day, which included baking two apple pies, then going apple picking at Wrights Orchard on South River Road.

This year I am going to try baking pies and freezing them.  My sister used to do this every year with my brother, but I figured why bother.  Apples are plentiful any time of year and it is easy enough to bake a pie fresh.  That is so, but it does make it very easy to grab a pie when a party is going on, and warming it rather than having to make it fresh.

My favorite apples for pies always seem to end up being Cortlands.  I do not limit my creations to just one kind of apple, however.  Today's pies were made with Cortland, Empire, and Mutsu apples.  These varieties are more tart than say Macintosh or the favorite eating apple called Delicious.  The apples are also more firm and hold up to baking better.

One of the biggest complaints regarding apples is how they disappear in baking.  The apples do shrink substantially as they bake down, and as the pie cools, alas, the filling seems to shrink even more.  With a harder apple such as Cortland or Empire, the shrinking of your filling isn't as dramatic. The best tip I can give regarding apple pie, is fill that pie up so that the apples are mounded as much as 1-2 inches above the rim of  the pie
                                                                   plate.

I will admit it, I use store bought crusts more often than homemade.  However, they do seem too small for even a regular Pyrex pie plate.  So here is another trick.  Roll out the premade crust a little larger with a rolling pin.  Don't be afraid to do this.  The crust usually does not rip.  Just fold it in half after you roll it, then slip it over your pie plate and unfold.  Gently push the crust into the pie plate so that it is touching the sides, and then you can fill with the apples. 

When my mammoth pie making happens on Sunday for the freezer, I will be using a new recipe for crust that uses lard and vinegar.  I have not used the recipe yet, but I will include it today.  It was my co-worker Lynn that clued me in to using vinegar in pie crust.  It makes the crust not only have a nice
bite to it, but it also makes it flakier.  Lard tends to create a weighty crust, but with the vinegar it seems to lighten it up a little. 

Let's get going with the recipes, now.  I will start with the delicious oatmeal I had, then you can see all the other creations I have been making in this bumper year for apples.

                                                    Fruity Breakfast Oatmeal  
Ingredients:

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Extra Thick Cut Rolled Oats
1 cup water
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup dried apple slices

1 Tblsp pomegranate seeds

handful of sliced almonds
2 tsp.maple syrup 

To dehydrate the cranberries, I first placed them in boiling water for about a minute, then I dipped them into ice water.  After drying them on paper towels, I lay a piece of wax paper onto one of my dehydrater trays, then lay the cranberries in a single layer on the wax paper and ran the dehydrater for about 7 hours at 135 degrees fahrenheit. You can also make it easy on yourself and just buy craisins, though they are made with sugar.  Most dried cranberries are made with sugar, so in order to just get unsweetened cranberries I have to dehydrate them myself.  

To dehydrate the apples, I wash and scrub the apples, then cut in half.  I then slice them about 1/4 inch thick, and remove the seeds from the slices that have them.  I don't peel or core the apple first.  Instead I simply cut that part out to create my apple "smile" slice. I then place the slices onto the dehydrating trays in a single layer and then dehydrate at 140 degrees fahrenheit for about 5-6 hours.  
Once cool I place them into mason jars.  This way, if I see condensation forming inside the jar, I will dehydrate the slices a little longer.  

I leave the peels on the apples because they offer trace minerals and elements that the apple meat doesn't have.  You can buy dried apples, but rarely will you find them with the peel still intact.  So that is why I dehydrate my own. 

To make the oatmeal, using a saucepan put in your oats, then add water.  Take your dry slices of apples and break them into small pieces, then put into the oat mixture.  Simmer until the water is gone, or until it is the consistancy you like, such as more liquidy or more dry.  I find that cooking the oatmeal for about 7 minutes is fine.  The apples will absorb some of the water, so you may want to add a little more to make sure the oatmeal can absorb enough.  

Add your cranberries, your pomegranate seeds  your almonds, and your maple syrup.  If you like it sweeter, than add another tsp of syrup.  I like it less sweet so I might only add 1 tsp.  

================================================================== 

                                 Simple Applesauce For Fruit Leather   
 Ingredients:
 6-8 pounds of mixed apples (Sweet ones are best such as Gala, Macintosh, Delicious, 
                                               Honey crisp, and Mutsu)
1 cup of water

Yep, that's it.  Core your apples but do not peel.  Place them in your largest stockpot, and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot.  Do not overfill your stockpot.  I usually fill the pot perhaps 2/3's full.  Heat to boiling, and stir frequently making sure you get down to the bottom and scrape well.  If you don't the sauce will burn but you can still use the top part of the sauce if it does burn.  Usually about 30 minutes is all you need.  When the apples are soft, remove from heat and place them in small batches into a blender or food processor. 

{Don't have either?  Then you will have to do it the hard way.  Mash them and push through a sieve.  That takes a long time and lots of elbow grease.  Invest in the blender or food processor, or even a sauce maker.  It will save you hours of work and save your back from extreme pain and your elbow and wrist from carpel tunnel.)

I use a food processor and put it on puree.  I blend the apples until they are smooth and form a nice applesauce.  The peels will just blend in and add to the nutrition of your applesauce.

Place in sterilized mason jars, seal with metal caps and process in a hot water bath for about 30 minutes for pints and quarts, 25 minutes for 1/2 pints.  

To make the fruit leather, my dehydrator came with a fruit leather insert.  It is shiny and has sides to it.  I have been told to spray the insert with cooking spray, but so far haven't done so.  The thought of eating fruit leather with Pam spray on it seems very unappetizing.

Use one pint of applesauce per each fruit insert.  Level the applesauce to about 1/4 inch, trying to make it as even as possible.  Place in deydrator and run for about 8 hours.  The fruit leather will look like bacon when it is done.  Cut into strips and peel off the insert. If you have some applesauce that hasn't dried thoroughly, just scrape it off the finished leather.  It probably means you didn't level the applesauce well when placing in the dehydrator.  It is okay, better luck next time, and there will be a next time. Place your pieces into a mason jar for storage.  You will find that you can never have enough mason jars.  They come in handy for everything, including leftovers. 

You can add any spices you want before dehydrating the applesauce, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cloves.  You can even combine your applesauce with pear sauce or other fruits to create your own unique fruit leather.  

=====================================================================

                                       Lard Crust With Vinegar

This recipe came from the Food Network.  I have not tried the recipe yet, but will know by Sunday if it works.  I have had very little success with making my own crust.  Blame it on humidity, or too much sun, or not enough sun, or just ineptitude, but when it comes to rolling out the crust, it always tears or doesn't stay together. 

Some tips that I have been told in the past are make sure you chill the crust before working it.  Don't use a lot of flour to roll out.  Use parchment paper or wax paper to keep your crust from sticking to your counter.  This blog entry will be updated with photos of the technique my brother Craig uses.  He makes great crust, so I will learn along with my readers how to successfully roll out pie crust.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup lard, cold
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

1

Cut lard into the flour.

2

Add the last three ingredients, mix and form into ball.

3

Divide into thirds.

4

Chill.

5

This will be sticky until you chill it.

6

Keep unused portion in refrigerator until needed.

7

Roll each out into a 9" piecrust.

8

If you are baking single crust bake at 400 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned.

9

If you are making a double crust pie follow directions from the can of fruit.

10

As you bake your pie, you may want to add foil around the edges so they don't brown to quickly

                             
                                               Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

 This recipe came from All Recipes.  I made this pie today using a Big Y store bought pie crust.  It came out amazingly.  Surprisingly, the pie was not that sweet.  I expected my teeth to fall out when I read the recipe.  I used a mixture of cortland, empire and mutsu apples.  I will share the recipe as it appears, then I will add what I think I will do next time to add my own touches.  Here is the recipe.  

 

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 1 - 9 inch pie 

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

• PREP
  30 mins
• COOK
  1 hr
• READY IN
  1 hr 30 mins

Directions

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes

          
 Now for my changes                

Substitute Smart Balance buttery spread for  butter.
2 tsp. Ceylon True cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
substitute 1/8 cup apple cider and 1/8 cup water for the water (I may use only apple cider just to see how it comes out.)
6-8 mixed apples such as Cortland and Empire, peeled, cored and sliced.

=====================================================================

Well, happy picking and baking.  

                          


 

10 Awesome Ways to Preserve the WHOLE Peach | Ready Nutrition

10 Awesome Ways to Preserve the WHOLE Peach | Ready Nutrition

Puff Pastry from Martha's Blog

Quick and Easy Puff Pastry Danish

Here is a recipe from The Yankee  Pastry Chef blog.  These little danish are similar to the kind you can buy at Panera Bread.  I intend to use some of my peach jelly to make these scrumptious looking danish.  The link to the blog is http://yankeepastrychef.blogspot.com. There are a lot of good recipes on this blog.  

Quick and Easy Puff Pastry Danish are made with frozen sheets of puff pastry. Puff pastry made from scratch is the ultimate in puff pastry but for a quick and easy jam and cheese danish these look and taste great. I've made three shapes for you, the pinwheel, the envelop, and the diamond. They are filled with a cream cheese filling and jam, then brushed with an apricot glaze while they're still warm. Make them the night before, cover and refrigerate, then pop them in the oven first thing in the morning. Your guests and family will think you've made a quick run to the local bakery.

Puff pastry is found in the frozen section at the grocery store. It should be thawed in the refrigerator preferably overnight. If you're in a real hurry you can leave it on the counter but make sure you use it as soon as it's thawed enough to handle. Puff pastry should be kept cold. Flour your board and unfold the sheet. You want to have a square sheet so you may have to flour and roll it a little bit. Mine was almost a 10 inch square so I only had to roll it a little bit. You can make any size you want as long as they are square. Adjust the amount of cream cheese filling and jam accordingly. I cut it into four 5 inch squares. The first shape on the left is the envelop. You take two opposite corners and fold them overlapping in the middle. The second shape is the pinwheel. From each corner you cut in two inches. After you have filled it you will fold every other point to the center. The third shape is the diamond. Fold the square into a triangle. Then cut one half inch in from the sides of the triangle stopping one inch from the tip of the triangle. Unfold the square and bring the cut sides to the opposite points. Make sure the sides line up evenly.

The next step is to fill the puff pastry with the cream cheese filling and jam. I used strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry jam. For the envelop place 1 1/2 Tbs. cream filling down the middle of the square from point to point. Don't go all the way to the edges because it will spread some. Place 1 Tbs. jam on top of the cream cheese filling. Fold one point over the filling and egg wash the top, then fold the opposite point over the egg washed point. For the pin wheel place 1 1/2 Tbs. cream cheese filling in the center of the pin wheel. Place 1 Tbs. jam on top of the cream cheese filling. Start with any point and fold it to the center. Egg wash the top, skip a point, then fold the next point on top of the first one. Continue folding every other point to the center egg washing the top of each one. For the diamond shape place 1 1/2 Tbs. cream cheese filling in the center of the diamond and place 1 Tbs. jam on top of the cream cheese filling. After all the pastries are filled egg wash the tops of all exposed puff pastry. Do not egg wash the sides of the puff pastry.

Cream Cheese Filling

16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbs. flour

1 egg yolk

Mix all of the ingredients together in a standing mixer with the paddle or mix with a handheld mixer. Makes enough for about a dozen pastries.

Egg Wash

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

2 tsp. water

Whisk together in a small bowl.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes and brush with Apricot Glaze. Place apricot jam in the microwave, or in a pan on the stove, and heat until it becomes more liquid. I usually have to add a little water to it. If you have large pieces in the jam put it through a sieve. Brush on the pastry while it is still warm and liquid. Keep in the refrigerator so you have it the next time you need Apricot Glaze.

Variations:

Use orange zest instead of lemon zest in the cream cheese filling. Or use both.

Use flavorings in the cream cheese filling such as lemon, vanilla, or almond.

Use any kind of jam you like, apricot, fig, or other berry jams.

Add chopped up almonds to the cream cheese filling or sprinkle them on top.

I hope you'll give these Quick and Easy Puff Pastry Danish a try. They really are very easy to make and give a real wow factor to your breakfast. If you have any questions please feel free to email me.lrice5241@att.net

Enjoy!

Martha

Peach Nectar - Using All The Peach

The local peach orchard in Ellington, CT. will finally open at Old Schoolhouse Rd. on August 10. 2014.  Johnny Appleseeds will be open on the hill from 9 to 5.  To check for picking conditions call 860-875-1000.

So, I will be joining my cookbook group on Monday night at the Tolland Public Library, and our task for August is to test out some beverage recipes and bring our opinion on our experiment.  My choice came from a cookbook I bought last year from Taste of Home.  The recipe book, titled Smoothies and Blender Drinks has dozens of cooling recipes for hot summer days.

I decided to choose one recipe called Peach Navel, the non alcoholic version.  One of the ingredients for the recipe calls for peach nectar, which is available in grocery stores, but I decided I wanted to make my own.  So I took myself over to Johnny Appleseeds fruit and vegetable stand on Rt. 83 in Ellington.  I was able to procure a great deal.

Choosing the right peaches for nectar comes down to softness and fragrance.  You need softer peaches that have got a strong peach scent to make a really good nectar.  Most stands will not sell these softer peaches, but as a consumer, if you ask, they usually will give you a really good price.  They need to be used usually within 24 hours.  Any longer, and they begin to get overripe.

Peach nectar is made from the first extraction of your peaches.  Here is the technique, gathered from EHow.com.  I did not use the boiling method they recommend.  My peaches had very loose skins already, so I simply had to peel them off with my fingers.  I occasionally had to use a potato peeler to get some of the peels, but generally the task took less time then waiting for the pot of water to boil.
                                               
                                                                                           

PEACH NECTAR

Instructions

• 1

Select peaches that are somewhat soft to the touch and have a fragrant smell. This indicates ripeness. Very firm or hard peaches will not be ripe and will not provide the sweetness needed for a good nectar. Green, or unripe peaches do not process properly in the blender, and produce a bitter tasting nectar.

• 2

Boil enough water in a stock pot or sauce pan to be able to submerge the peaches. Dip each peach into the boiling water until the skin begins to loosen. Remove from the boiling water and place in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel the peaches, remove the pit and cut into slices.

• 3

Combine 2 cups sliced peaches and 1 cup water in a blender. Liquefy until smooth.

• 4

Strain the liquefied peaches through a sieve. Store the nectar in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator until ready to use

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5287254_make-fresh-peach-nectar.html

This nectar will end up being somewhat thicker than what you would buy.  Before you go crazy, save the sieved pulp of the peach in a separate bowl, and also save your peels.  Save your peach pits as well, because I will give you recipes to use these scrapings so you waste absolutely nothing of your investment.  

 

Now, here is the recipe for your Peach Navel.

 

How to Make Fresh Peach Nectar

By eHow Contributor

•  Share
•  Tweet
•  Share
•  Pin

189 Found This Helpful

Make your own peach nectar.

Of all the summer fruits, peaches are perhaps the most delectable. So sweet, so juicy, they almost seem decadent. It isn't surprising hundreds of recipes have been developed that spotlight their unique flavor. On hot days, a glass of peach iced tea is the perfect thirst quencher; peach Bellinis are the quintessential Italian summer cocktail; peach brandy is a time honored tradition. Peach nectar is what gives these drinks their signature summertime flavor. While canned nectar is acceptable in many recipes, homemade peach nectar is the best way to get that true, fresh taste. The best peach nectar begins with ripe, fresh peaches.

Other People Are Reading

• How to Make Peach Tea
• How to Make a Bellini When Peaches Are Not in Season

Things You'll Need

• Fresh, ripe peaches
• Stock pot
• Water

Instructions

1. • 1
     Select peaches that are somewhat soft to the touch and have a fragrant smell. This indicates ripeness. Very firm or hard peaches will not be ripe and will not provide the sweetness needed for a good nectar. Green, or unripe peaches do not process properly in the blender, and produce a bitter tasting nectar.
   • 2
     Boil enough water in a stock pot or sauce pan to be able to submerge the peaches. Dip each peach into the boiling water until the skin begins to loosen. Remove from the boiling water and place in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel the peaches, remove the pit and cut into slices.
   • Sponsored Links
     

     • 5 Foods you must not eat:
       Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating banana, corn…
       trimdownclub.com
   • 3
     Combine 2 cups sliced peaches and 1 cup water in a blender. Liquefy until smooth.
   • 4
     Strain the liquefied peaches through a sieve. Store the nectar in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5287254_make-fresh-peach-nectar.html

Instructions

1. • 1
     Select peaches that are somewhat soft to the touch and have a fragrant smell. This indicates ripeness. Very firm or hard peaches will not be ripe and will not provide the sweetness needed for a good nectar. Green, or unripe peaches do not process properly in the blender, and produce a bitter tasting nectar.
   • 2
     Boil enough water in a stock pot or sauce pan to be able to submerge the peaches. Dip each peach into the boiling water until the skin begins to loosen. Remove from the boiling water and place in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel the peaches, remove the pit and cut into slices.
   • Sponsored Links
     

     • 5 Foods you must not eat:
       Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating banana, corn…
       trimdownclub.com
   • 3
     Combine 2 cups sliced peaches and 1 cup water in a blender. Liquefy until smooth.
   • 4
     Strain the liquefied peaches through a sieve. Store the nectar in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator until ready to use

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5287254_make-fresh-peach-nectar.html

How to Make Fresh Peach Nectar

By eHow Contributor

•  Share
•  Tweet
•  Share
•  Pin

189 Found This Helpful

Make your own peach nectar.

Of all the summer fruits, peaches are perhaps the most delectable. So sweet, so juicy, they almost seem decadent. It isn't surprising hundreds of recipes have been developed that spotlight their unique flavor. On hot days, a glass of peach iced tea is the perfect thirst quencher; peach Bellinis are the quintessential Italian summer cocktail; peach brandy is a time honored tradition. Peach nectar is what gives these drinks their signature summertime flavor. While canned nectar is acceptable in many recipes, homemade peach nectar is the best way to get that true, fresh taste. The best peach nectar begins with ripe, fresh peaches.

Other People Are Reading

• How to Make Peach Tea
• How to Make a Bellini When Peaches Are Not in Season

Things You'll Need

• Fresh, ripe peaches
• Stock pot
• Water

Instructions

1. • 1
     Select peaches that are somewhat soft to the touch and have a fragrant smell. This indicates ripeness. Very firm or hard peaches will not be ripe and will not provide the sweetness needed for a good nectar. Green, or unripe peaches do not process properly in the blender, and produce a bitter tasting nectar.
   • 2
     Boil enough water in a stock pot or sauce pan to be able to submerge the peaches. Dip each peach into the boiling water until the skin begins to loosen. Remove from the boiling water and place in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel the peaches, remove the pit and cut into slices.
   • Sponsored Links
     

     • 5 Foods you must not eat:
       Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating banana, corn…
       trimdownclub.com
   • 3
     Combine 2 cups sliced peaches and 1 cup water in a blender. Liquefy until smooth.
   • 4
     Strain the liquefied peaches through a sieve. Store the nectar in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5287254_make-fresh-peach-nectar.html

PEACHY NAVEL

2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup peach nectar
1 tblsp. thawed lemonade concentrate
1/3 cup club soda

Garnish:
Orange slice and twist of peel.

In a highball glass, combine the orange juice, peach nectar and lemonade concentrate.  Stir in club soda.  Garnish as desire.
note:  You may add 2 ounces vodka  for an alcoholic version.

I made 4 cups of nectar from about 18 peaches.  I had 4 peeled peaches left that I didn't use.  So on my counter I had a bowl of peelings, about a cup of pulp, and 18 peach pits.   I wasn't done yet, so wondered how I could use up the pulp and the 4 peeled peaches.

I covered the peels and pits and set them aside.  I would look at them later.  For now, I hated to let that thick peach pulp go to waste.  I wondered if I could do a quick peach butter.  So here is what I did.
                                                                                                        

LEFTOVER CHUNKY PULP PEACH BUTTER

Ingredients:

1 cup peach pulp
1 cup sugar
4 peeled and chunked peaches

Directions:
 
Mix pulp with sugar.  Bring to boil over medium high heat in a stainless pot.  Add peach chunks and boil for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Mash up the peach pieces to make them fairly small, and continue to cook over medium high heat for about 1/2 hour.  You need to stir your mixture the entire time.  The more you stir, the smoother the butter.







You want to reduce your mixture to about half.  It should become darker and very thick.














Spoon the mixture into a hot sterilized 1 cup jar, seal with canning lid, and process in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  I did not bother processing the butter because I only had one jar.  It will simply be kept in the refrigerator.  It should be good for about 6 months. 

This is a very rich butter.  You only need 1 tsp per serving.  It should spread easily and the taste is so strong and sweet that any more than a tsp will be too sweet for some.  Of course, this gourmet flavored peach butter, with tiny chunks of peach won't last for more than a few days, it is soooo good. 


So that leaves us with peels and pits.  On the previous post, I showed a link for peach honey.  Peach honey is made by simmering the peels in water, then letting them stand overnight.  You then remove the juice, add sugar to it, and cook it until it is very thick.  The recipe can be found on Pick Your Own.com.

On my search, I found another recipe that uses peels and pits to make a jelly from.  Back when our parents and grandparents were children, it was common to make jelly from peels and pits.  Nothing was wasted if it could be eaten or used.  In our modern age, we have lost our sense of using everything that we buy.  All of us are guilty of throwing away what we consider the non usable parts.  Well, with a view of looking back and reviving these heirloom recipes, I will take advantage of my discovery and share what I found. 

This next  recipe came from Cooks.com.  Here is the link:  http://www.cooks.com/recipe/5q3r87kx/peach-peel-and-pit-jelly.html

Peach Peel & Pit Jelly

4 qts. peach peels and pits 1 pkg. powdered pectin 3 c. sugar A word of caution.  Do not use any broken pits.  The best peach for this recipe is a cling variety such as Red Haven. 1 package powdered pectin and 3 cups sugar to each 3 cups juice.Save peels and pits of peaches when canning. Barely cover them with water in a large kettle. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Let stand overnight. Strain juice through cheesecloth. Measure 3 cups juice into a large pan. Add 1 package pectin. Bring to vigorous boil. Add 3 cups sugar and boil rapidly until it reaches "sheeting off" jelly test, 220 degrees. Skim off foam. Pour into hot jelly jars and seal. Cooking Tip;  Don't squeeze the juice out of the cheesecloth bag.  Once you have strained the bulk of the juice, get another bowl and hang the cheesecloth bag over it.  Let it continue to drip for an additional 8 hours.  This will give you about another cup of very peachy juice.  It is okay if you don't make jelly right away.  Keep juice in closed container but use within a day after your final straining. Tomorrow I will be picking a large amount of freestone peaches.  The freestone kind allow you to quickly remove the peach from the pit, because it isn't really attached.  I have heard that this kind of peach, though easy to work with for canning peach slices, isn't as sweet as the stoned variety.  Since the peaches will be floating in a medium syrup, I can probably not feel guilty about picking the freestone kind.  It will make my life a bit easier as I try to put up about 8 quarts of canned peaches.    August 17' 2014 I have made my first batch of this jelly, and it is absolutely delicious.  I will be picking more peaches this week and look forward to making this recipe again,  it will make excellent Christmas gifts as well as work well in Thumbprint cookies or in peach filled danish.  Watch the blog for winter recipes that use the jelly for more than just a spread on toast. Happy picking.  Next is apples.