The tomato crop may have been ruined this summer, and the slugs may have eaten the lettuce crop, but the fruit has been delightful. Blueberries finally ripened after the sun came out in July; the season usually runs into mid-August. Raspberries, depending on the variety and the orchard, are available into October. Peaches and nectarines can be picked beginning from mid-August to mid-September, just about the time apples are ready to be harvested.
At least three orchards in Harvard—Westward, Carlson, and Doe—grow peaches and blueberries; some even offer pick-your-own fruit. Westward Orchard has first-quality and utility peaches available for sale at the farm stand. Like apples, there are numerous peach varieties from which to choose, and more than a dozen varieties can be picked at Harvard orchards.
The close proximity of these farms offers locals the opportunity to enjoy the freshness of fruit now and to preserve or can those delicious summer fruits for winter. The most common method of canning to preserve tomatoes, fruit, jams, jellies, pickles, and other preserves is the boiling water-bath process. This process involves placing foods in jars, covering the foods with hot liquid, and placing the jars in a pot filled with water that completely covers the jars, then boiling for a specific amount of time. This process destroys micro-organisms that cause food to spoil. During the heating process air is driven out of the jar, and as it cools a vacuum seal is formed. This vacuum seal prevents air from getting back into the product, bringing with it contaminating micro-organisms.
How to do it
First, you’ll need a water-bath canner and a supply of canning jars, all available at most hardware stores. A canner is a large pot that comes with a rack made for holding jars. A large heavy stock pot with a tight-fitting lid can be substituted, but will still require a rack of some kind to keep the jars from touching during the canning process.
Next, be sure to select ripe, blemish-free fruits, and clean them well. While preparing the fruit for canning, wash and sterilize canning jars in the dishwasher. Boil lids and domes in a pot of water on the stovetop for at least 10 minutes to sterilize them; keep the jars and lids warm until ready to use. Fill the canner with water to the recommended depth and set it on the stove to heat to boiling.
Tree-ripened peaches are best kept at room temperature for two to three days after being picked. To prepare them for canning, place the peaches in a bowl of hot water for about a minute to loosen the skins, then dip them in cold water to make pealing easier. Peel the peaches, slice and remove pits, and cut them into the desired size (half or quarter). To keep fruit from discoloring, place cut peaches in a mixture of 1 gallon of water with 2 tablespoons of salt and vinegar.
Rinse thoroughly before putting fruit in jars. Place fruit into hot, sterilized jars and cover with hot syrup or juice, leaving a half inch of head room. (Peaches can be preserved in syrup, hot water, apple juice, or white grape juice. The syrup varies from a mixture of two parts water to one part sugar for thin syrup to a one-to-one mixture for heavy syrup.) Remove any bubbles in the jar by stirring the fruit. Wipe the rim of the jar, attach a warm dome, and screw on the lid.
Place jars in the canner so that they are completely covered with water. Boil jars for 30 minutes.
Preserving peaches in preserves
With so many fruits ripe at the same time, the combination of flavors for making preserves is just as plentiful. Peach-raspberry and peach-rhubarb are two examples. The water-bath method described above can be used to safely can preserves.
