Peach Daiquiri Time

One of the best parts of moving to our home in North Baltimore almost three years ago was being across the street from a 150 year old peach orchard(Moore’s Orchard). Each summer around the Fourth of July the peaches are ready for us lucky consumers. When the first peaches become available one has to be vigilant, because instead of the usual sandwich board sign advertising said peaches on busy Joppa Road there is a less visible sign that goes up on the less busy Peach Blossom Road. This is because there aren’t a lot of early peaches to be had and the rush of buyers would wipe out the store in no time at all.

This year I was looking most every day from the first of July on and was thrilled when I spied the sign pronouncing the beginning of the season on July 5th. These first peach varieties are small but very juicy and tasty indeed. I promptly bought two $5 bags of each type (yellow and white), and took them home to wash them up and test. Even though they were only the size of a tennis ball they packed big flavor.

Way back in 1979 I lived in the small mountain town of Frisco, Colorado amongst an assortment of old hippies, ski bums, old timer locals, and people fleeing the boredom of the plains states. They were an interesting colorful bunch indeed. It was there on a warm summer’s day two of my new found friends invited me across the street from the Moose Jaw to partake in a party with daiquiris made from scratch. It was there that I learned the right way to make a daquiri with fresh lime juice and honey instead of sweet and sour mix. Sure you could use the sweet and sour mixes sold in liquor stores to whip up one of these frozen drink delights, but once you taste this method you will never again want that sweet and sour chemical crap in your daiquiri again.

It was at this party that we indulged in peach daiquiris and strawberry daiquiris until the perfect mix was obtained. Sure it was tough duty testing batch after batch, but we were young and full of ambition. The end result other than getting our daily requirement of fruit for the week was all of us agreed this was the way to make a frozen daiquiri hence forth. Therefore I will now share with you the magic recipe for the best frozen daiquiri you will probably ever taste.

I have made some changes in the recipe, actually just one change. For sweetener I had previously used honey, but it was always difficult to get it to blend into a frozen drink properly. Now I use Agave Nectar that the good folks at Sugar in the Raw gifted me at Eat, Write, Retreat food bloggers meeting in Philadelphia last month. Agave Nectar dissolves much better than honey and works as well or better in this drink. Rum is optional if you don’t drink alcohol.

Frozen Peach Daquiris

2 cups peeled and sliced fresh juicy peaches

2 to 2 ½ cups crushed ice

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar

4 ounces rum

In a capable blender add the peaches first, then the ice, lime, agave and rum. Blend until all ingredients are pureed. This will vary depending on your blender and size of crushed ice. Top with a slice of fresh peach and enjoy. Repeat if hot and thirsty.

Serves 2-4.

Note:

Strawberries work well with this recipe too.

You can use frozen peaches or strawberries with half the ice and enough water to make it all blend properly.

My new Osterizer classic beehive blender that I just bought worked great!

Even though I was gifted Agave Nectar from Sugar in the Raw the ideas and recipe expressed are my own.