Wow!!! Last week was such  a fun and busy week!  When the Fourth of July falls mid-week—it seems like 2 weeks in one or something like that.

Midst all of the parties, frolic and fun—I have been busily editing the copy-editor’s editing of my Freezer cookbook.  I wrote it initially while I was the Director of the Consumer’s Institute for General Electric-Hotpoint.  I wrote it personally, not as an employee and it was during the energy crisis of the late ‘70’s, so even though I travelled extensively; I was to get it written in 6 months…but not on the job.  So, I wrote 2 hours a day, no matter what. 

Recalling that busy time, raising a toddler and travelling, and writing it before computers, I am really happy that writing has become much more manageable with personal computers.  Can you imagine, keeping 3 young Mothers busy with typing and retyping my editing?  Somehow I got it done.  I remember also that my daughter and Mother and I made 2 copies of the book on Thanksgiving Day before sending it off to the publisher.  Needless to say, we didn’t cook Thanksgiving dinner—we had dinner at a Dinner Theatre in the Louisville, KY area and I think we saw “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”.

I wrote all 50 states Home Extension services (a division of the USDA) to get their recommended Freezer storage and preparation brochures and information and synthesized it into the book, plus I included many favorite recipes.  So it actually is great fun going word by word, comma by comma through the book a second time in just a few months.

It is set to be published in late summer/early fall. 

One of my memories of the book’s fans was when I was doing a series of Cooking Classes for Dayton’s Department Store in Columbus, Ohio in 1992.  At the end of the class, one young attractive woman stood up and said that when their house was burning down, she ran back in to get her copy of the Freezer book—she loved it so much!

If you like to cook, garden, fish, hunt or love to eat really well, I think you will enjoy getting the newly edited version of this book.  It is part of the new Jane Butel Library being published by Turner Publishing.

I still use it as a reference for freezing fruits and vegetables and checking it for keeping times.  Amazon is already taking advance orders—so get on the “band wagon”  and I just know you will enjoy it!

If you like to freeze peaches which are becoming so plentiful—here is my favorite method.

I like to work in the cool breezes of my covered patio which faces East.  So late in the afternoon I collect a big bowl of water for placing the peaches in.  Another smaller bowl for peeling, pits and waste.  A box of freezer weight bags, a container of “Fruit Fresh”—an ascorbic citric acid mixture that prevents discoloration and a bag of sugar and a 1/3 cup dry measuring cup.  I also take a 1 teaspoon measure out there.

I peel the peaches into a quart glass measuring cup, adding 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of the “Fruit Fresh” after 2 cups of peaches.  I stir them carefully and well to absorb the sugar mixture, then peel another 2 cups into the measure  and repeat the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of “Fruit Fresh” and stirring.  When stirring, take care not to break down the peach slices.  Stir very carefully.

These peaches will be so fabulously flavorful and great to enjoy in all kinds of desserts, on cereal and whatever way you like!