The approach of Christmas and New Year flags peach season at our house!
We have a glorious Anzac Peach tree in the backyard which - with a little TLC throughout the year - rewards us with buckets and buckets of sweet, juicy, yellow fleshed peaches.
Peaches are one of my favourite fruits. I have fond childhood memories of summers long past sucking the warm sticky juice from glorious peaches picked fresh from the tree by my late Grandfather - a most wonderful gardener!
Peach season signals a flurry of activity in my kitchen - those peaches are not to be wasted! I make jams and sometimes chutneys, freeze slices and halves poached in light syrup, and make endless desserts that include fresh fruit salads, peach pies, tarts, upside down cakes and my favourite - roast peaches drizzled with a mixture of butter and brown sugar that forms a toffee sauce in the pan.
Peaches are one of my favourite fruits. I have fond childhood memories of summers long past sucking the warm sticky juice from glorious peaches picked fresh from the tree by my late Grandfather - a most wonderful gardener!
Peach season signals a flurry of activity in my kitchen - those peaches are not to be wasted! I make jams and sometimes chutneys, freeze slices and halves poached in light syrup, and make endless desserts that include fresh fruit salads, peach pies, tarts, upside down cakes and my favourite - roast peaches drizzled with a mixture of butter and brown sugar that forms a toffee sauce in the pan.
A favourite with our grandsons, this easy Peach Ice recipe evolved from the Cantalope Ice recipe featured in 'The Australian Women's Weekly New Cookbook' edited by Ellen Sinclair and published way back in 1978.
Not only is this Peach Ice a refreshing and tasty sweet - but you will be amazed at how easy and no fuss it is make! The peaches do not need to be peeled. That's right - no messy, time consuming peeling is involved, and a food processor or stick blender will make blitzing the fresh peaches to a pulp a breeze!
Serve the ice with fresh sliced peaches mascerated in a little sugar to draw out the juices, together with a generous dollop of thick cream. Yum!
Three grandsons love the Peach Ice served in a cone! It melts quickly - just as well it is eaten even quicker!
For Adults only: Just between you and me a sensational adult version can be made mascerating the peaches in a little Grand Marnier or Cointreau! Shhh, don't tell!
1 kilo fresh ripe yellow peaches (7 or 8 good sized peaches)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Boil the sugar and water in a saucepan until a light syrup forms - about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the peaches and trim any bruised areas. Leaving the skin on slice the peaches into chunks, removing the stone and any stem.
Place half of the chunks of peach and half of the orange juice in the food processor or blitzing jug of the stick blender. Puree. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining peach chunks and orange juice.
Add the hot syrup to the bowl of puree and stir thoroughly.
Pour the puree mixture into a sterilized 2 litre container. Top with the lid and place into the freezer. There is no need to stir the ice mixture during the freezing process - I meant it when I said it was no fuss and easy!
Enjoy!
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! May 2015 be a wonderful year!
Cheers!
Marian
Not only is this Peach Ice a refreshing and tasty sweet - but you will be amazed at how easy and no fuss it is make! The peaches do not need to be peeled. That's right - no messy, time consuming peeling is involved, and a food processor or stick blender will make blitzing the fresh peaches to a pulp a breeze!
Serve the ice with fresh sliced peaches mascerated in a little sugar to draw out the juices, together with a generous dollop of thick cream. Yum!
Three grandsons love the Peach Ice served in a cone! It melts quickly - just as well it is eaten even quicker!
For Adults only: Just between you and me a sensational adult version can be made mascerating the peaches in a little Grand Marnier or Cointreau! Shhh, don't tell!
Easy No Fuss Fresh Peach Ice
1 kilo fresh ripe yellow peaches (7 or 8 good sized peaches)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Method
Boil the sugar and water in a saucepan until a light syrup forms - about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the peaches and trim any bruised areas. Leaving the skin on slice the peaches into chunks, removing the stone and any stem.
Place half of the chunks of peach and half of the orange juice in the food processor or blitzing jug of the stick blender. Puree. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining peach chunks and orange juice.
Add the hot syrup to the bowl of puree and stir thoroughly.
Pour the puree mixture into a sterilized 2 litre container. Top with the lid and place into the freezer. There is no need to stir the ice mixture during the freezing process - I meant it when I said it was no fuss and easy!
Enjoy!
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! May 2015 be a wonderful year!
Cheers!
Marian
