My Veggie Heaven

Movin’ to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches…

• By MyVeggieHeven
• August 13, 2013
• No Comments

The peach tree has been working hard all spring and summer and it is nearly time to start enjoying some of that hard work.  I planted a Burbank Elberta peach tree several years ago that I purchased form Stark Bros. nursery.  It grew steadily for 2 years and by the third spring there were little buds to promise a bountiful harvest by the end of that summer.  A few days before I thought the fruit would be perfect, a black bear came to visit and decided the peaches were just right.  During the night, he ate nearly every single peach; devouring the flesh and leaving behind a immaculately clean pits.  He also left a big pile of poo before he lumbered away.  Rude. In the morning, I found my tree naked and broken and for a while, I pretty much felt the same way.  I still tear up a bit just thinking about it.

We pruned and tethered up the branches but the tree still needed 2 years to recover.  This year we have peaches again and a staggering amount of them.  We have braced 2 x 4’s under the heaviest branches for extra support. My dog Toby has been on guard duty to keep deer and squirrels away and give a warning bark if a bear comes around again.  I find myself looking out the window more frequently making sure it hasn’t been molested.  My neighbor’s peach-loving kid may be the biggest threat.  I think she checks the tree more than I do.

Guard dog. Grrrrrrr.

I have also been scouring the internet for peach recipes and canning techniques.  In addition to canning whole peaches, the top contenders so far are vanilla peach jam, peach cobbler and peach infused vodka.  I’m sure there will also be some pies.  Let me know if you’ve got a treasured peach recipe and I will keep you posted on how things are progressing here!

Peach tree supported by 2×4’s.