Steamed Peaches

The latest batch of peaches purchased were on the tougher side, and after hacking at one with a knife I figured there just had to be a better way of peeling them.  Out came my little cook-book, and I found a recipe where you steam the peaches.  It was pretty easy.  You wash the peaches and cut a deep X into one side.  In about an inch of water (I only used about 1/2") in a large sauce pan, you steam the peaches on the stove top.  I always have the lid cocked on, so the steam can escape while gently cooking the fruit.  It took about 10 minutes on the stove top until the skin puckered.  I removed the peaches with tongs, set them aside in a bowl to cook, and reserved the peachy water in a giant mug for blending. 

Now, when I went to remove the skin it was actually quite the chore.  If you ever read my post about blanching tomatoes, you'll know what I mean.  It was right up there from a gross factor.  I had use my super-sharp Rada knife to peel off the skin.  Once the skin was off I used my thumbs to dig down to the pit, and peel the fruit off.  After every peach I had to wash my hands to get all the junk off, before I started on the next one.  I used seven peaches total, and made several containers of baby food. 

It's been fun trying different techniques of cooking her food, figuring out what is easiest and most efficient.  While I'm not a huge fan of this method, I learned more about peaches and honestly they were so tough I think trying to peel them normally would have been even tougher.  There is nothing better than the knowledge that my daughter is eating fresh food, whose source I am familiar with.