surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

so far with the yellow squash, other than eating what we can, i've sliced some and put into pickle brine. i was thinking i could also freeze it in slices. i like it in dishes at holiday time :shifty it should really be a fall veggie, no?

i have NO IDEA what to do with the cukes. other than make my own pickles....i dont really even like cucumbers....i dont know why i decided to grow them...:scratch


peaches....can i pre-make things like cobblers and pies and freeze them? would they keep well in the deep freeze for a while?

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

Yes, you can freeze squash slices.

Cukes- do you also have tomatoes? Cucumber tomato salad is yummy- especially with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing.

Or you can do those little silly cucumber sandwiches (you know, the things that show up at every bridal/baby shower ever that are basically cucumbers, cream cheese, and dill on bread?).

And I know a lot of people who use up their excess cucumbers by doing cucumber water.

We use extra cucumber as a simple headache/eyestrain remedy- just slices over your eyes while you lay back and rest a few minutes.

Peaches... You can definitely pre-make pies and cobblers and freeze them. :yes just make it up, but don't bake it. Then thaw before cooking.

They're also great to just freeze the sliced peaches all alone for use in things later. Frozen peaches are great for tossing into the blender instead of ice in a fruit smoothie. They're also great in oatmeal.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

I *wish* I had excess peaches. I love them, but they are something I end up paying a ton for.

I *love* them canned in a light syrup. I could eat 100 quarts a year! I also can apple pie filling & then just put a jar in a freshly made shell....not sure if it would work for peaches or not...

I've been doing my cukes with rice vinegar, salt and dill. Slice and marinate for a few hours (or eat right away) and they're good by themselves or as a topping on meat (burgers are my favorite).

I also slice them in rounds and top with a little goat cheese and salami if I have it. Yum!

Third way is sliced with a cream cheese mixture - basically an Italian dressing mix (I make my own). Top spread the cheese on a cracker, top with sliced cuke and sprinkle with dill.

I don't recall your allergies so sorry if the dairy doesn't work for you.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

Peach salsa can be canned or frozen. Peach jam is good, too. Peach pie filling or just sliced peaches can also be canned or frozen.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

I have the perfect solution. Come visit me. Bring anything you want. We'll eat it.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

oh, and yellow squash can be shredded, then frozen in bags, thawed later and used in zucchini muffins.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

We use cucumbers as the bread make sandwiches. Put some meat and cheese between two of them and it is really good. And surprisingly filling. Cucumber water is awesome and really cooling.
Squash can be used like zucchini in muffins, pureed and put into other foods so that you sneak some extra vegetables in there and is really good fried with butter and cheese.
Peaches can be frozen, pickled or canned. And taste so good. You can make really good muffins and salsa, too.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

So.... When are we coming over? I want in.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

I like Kimberly's solution!! But I'd prefer if you came north to visit me.

I shred a lot of zucchini and freeze for muffins and zucchini bread (either chocolate or plain)....I didn't suggest that earlier because I wasn't sure if yellow squash was the same thing.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

Yeah, bring a cooler of each and we'll use some up for you! You can't grow peaches at all here, squash are very difficult, and cukes are greenhouse only.

Yellow squash--do you mean winter or summer squash? Both will freeze and both will make succulent muffins and tea breads. You can put both kinds into soups; winter squash, of course, will make pie and summer squash (with the water carefully pressed out) will make quiche or vegetable casserole. I put cubed summer squash into well-seasoned tomato sauce as well. If you combine mashed winter squash with butter, salt, and poultry seasoning, you can serve it instead of bread dressing with chicken.

Peaches OH peaches. Can them and make pies, cobblers, peach ice cream, peach salsa, peach nectar, peach nectar juice pops, peach sorbet, tutti frutti . . . Peach jam, which can be used to make homemade fruit-in-the-bottom peach yogurt . . .

Cukes can be cooked fresh as a savory vegetable, or used to make raita or a rich sour cream-dill sauce for fish or chicken, or turned into pickles or relishes . . . I think my absolute favorite kind of cucumber pickle is made with fresh oak leaves and lots of garlic.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

So I answer this thread with ideas for using cucumbers and find myself PINING for cucumber tomato salad and some of the other things I mentioned.

Then, lo and behold, my farmer shows up with our CSA share for the week. LOADED down with cukes and tomatoes.

That is what I call fortuitously providential. God smiling down on the preggo cravings. :D

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

everyone is welcome to hit the peach orchard with us tomorrow :shrug

cuke sandwiches is a good idea, but i am dairy-lite right now. also, gluten free, so not a lot of baked goods that go on around here.

i dont know how to can and dont trust an online tutorial for something like that - i'd rather be shown in person. :nails

the squash i will freeze on a pan, each slice individually. the peaches i can freeze in wedges. i found two more huge cukes the size of my forearms today in the garden. :doh still pondering that one.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

You can water bath can peaches. They are awesome. NOTHING like store canned. Spiced ones are particularly decadent.

Our peaches are thus far terrible this year. I still have two of last years jars and I am hoarding them.

You know I love you if I bring you peach cobbler from one of my precious, precious jars, or a jar of jelly :lol

---------- Post added at 05:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:24 AM ----------

Water bath is super easy and if you can set a timer, you can do it. Don't be skeered.

I checked the Ball book obsessively over every step the first couple times I canned, though.

Re: surplus peaches, yellow squash, and cukes....anyone wanna help me?
 

my friend was talking about peeling and blanching the peaches...what's all that about? i dont like it when things require extra steps. :shifty