Withdrawal Ahead

Strawberries have long been my favorite fruit, and that relationship has only strengthened in our two strawberry seasons in Oregon.  But I have to admit that this year peaches, these lovely juicy succulent round orbs of sweetness, they are giving the strawberries a run for their money.  It probably helps that instead of going out and picking them myself I can just order a box of peaches from the produce guy and pick it up on a Saturday afternoon.  Then I can entertain our tastebuds buy making all sorts of peachy goodness: classic (southern) peach cobbler, fresh peach pie, a new and out-of-this-world peach ice cream, and our new favorite peach crisp.  There are just so many ways to combine peaches and sugar to make something tasty, and we have tried a great many of them.

In the last few weeks, however, I have only eaten my peaches plain.  Straight up, as it were.  Juicy bites of peach flavored sugar is what many of them have tasted like.  I have LOVED them.  Hoarded them.  Not suggested that anyone else eat them. 

And now they are almost gone.  I think there are one or two more in the fridge, old enough now that they are starting to shrivel on the shelf.  The thought that it will be almost another year before I get a new box of peaches makes my heart and (my mouth) sad.  I had planned to freeze some peaches this year but in the chaotic aftermath of the concussion that didn’t happen.  I had planned to dehydrate some peaches this year, that didn’t happen either. 

All this means that my peach-addicted self is going to suffer some serious withdrawal as the winter sets in and the summer seems forever away.  And next year I’ll be more careful where I put my feet, so that I can store away a whole freezer full of sunshiny peaches.