Each week I talk with my pals on the Sonrise Morning Show, Sacred Heart Radio. This week the subject was peaches. Did you know that this fruit has an ancient, biblical pedigree?

PEACHES

2 Samuel 16:1: “ A hundred bunches of summer fruits” won David’s gracious approval for the servant Ziba. Some Biblical scholars think that those summer fruits included peaches because peach kernels have been found in Egyptian tombs, and peaches, pears, quinces and cherries were all grown well in New-Testament times. The Romans called peaches “Persian Apples”.

Peaches are in season right now, so it’s a great time to talk about them. The peach trucks from the south are in our Ohio area now!

Freestone or Cling?

I really love the freestones for eating, canning and making pies. Freestone means just that – the stone, or pit, comes out easily.

The clingstone peaches again are delicious, too, but the pit is really hard to cut out. The white peaches have a smoother skin and remind me of a nectarine. The bathtub peaches are fun to eat, so juicy that you supposedly have to get a bath after eating one.

EASY UPSIDE DOWN PEACH COBBLER
I call this “upside down” since you pour the batter in first, and then the peaches. The peach mixture falls down to the bottom during baking and the batter mixtures rises to the top, making a nice bumpy, cobbler crust. And really you can use any fruit you like. Sometimes I’ll add a few fresh blackberries to the peach cobbler

Ingredients
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cups thinly sliced, peeled peaches
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Pour melted butter in an 8×8 pan or 2 quart casserole. Mix the sugar, flour, milk and vanilla together and pour that over butter. No need to stir. Add peaches all over the top. Bake until top is golden and cobbler bubbles, about 45-50 minutes or so.

Tip from Rita’s kitchen
Self-rising flour has salt and leavening already in it. Store in frig or freezer for longer storage and to keep leavening active.

Substitute frozen peaches for fresh – thaw slightly
Substitute canned peaches packed in water – drain before using

Make your own self rising flour from Cook’s Illustrated:
Whisk together:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt