Chapter 69: Picking Peaches for Canning
Su Heng suddenly had some free time and spent the whole morning leisurely lying on the recliner.
Looking at Zhaocai sticking his butt out and sharpening his claws seriously in front of the tree trunk, Su Heng was amused and at the same time remembered that the peaches in the mountains must be ripe!
"Lu Mingchuan, let's go pick peaches this afternoon!"
"Okay, I'll pick up the basket and load it."
Lu Mingchuan found a bamboo basket used to store grain from the west room. After it had been there for a while, it became a little dusty, so he sat on the steps and wiped it with a wet rag.
Su Heng looked at the two baskets and thought about it. She wondered if she could sell the fruits on the black market if she picked too much and couldn't finish them.
It would be a huge undertaking to sell peaches from such a large valley on the black market.
Moreover, peaches are not durable and go bad easily.
Su Heng thought so and said it unconsciously.
Lu Mingchuan thought for a moment and said, "You can make it into canned food, or the honey-soaked dried peaches you made last time. However, the latter method wastes too much honey, so canned food is better."
Su Heng's eyes lit up. Yes! How could she forget that it could be canned?
"Not bad, not bad. Let's make canned food and ask Meng Xiao to help us sell it later."
There are more than a dozen cans at home, which are the canned yellow peaches that Song Wan brought last time. After eating, Su Heng washed the cans and neatly stacked them in the cabinet.
But this is obviously not enough. Su Heng decided to do a little today and go to the city tomorrow.
She remembered that there was a small glass factory in the city and wondered if she could wholesale some.
After noon, around two or three o'clock, the two of them set out for the mountains.
The temperature in the forest was slightly cooler, so Su Heng also carried a backpack.
When she arrived at the valley, she found that the peaches were indeed ripe. The green-haired peaches had red tips and were peeking out from the dense branches and leaves.
These peaches are very crisp and sweet, and I think they would taste great canned.
After taking down the basket, they started working. Su Heng wore gloves today, the kind of coarse cloth gloves with long sleeves, wrapped tightly around her. Lu Mingchuan did the same.
After picking the peaches, Su Heng did not forget to take a look at her Codonopsis pilosula field. It was still growing well as before. A few plants had reached maturity and were ruthlessly harvested.
He also absorbed some wood energy, and when he returned to the valley, Lu Mingchuan had just filled the two large bamboo baskets.
Looking at the full bamboo basket, Su Heng seriously suspected that Lu Mingchuan had obsessive-compulsive disorder.
"You're so full, isn't it heavy?"
This bamboo basket is much bigger than the wooden barrel I used to collect honey last time.
However, the facts proved that Lu Mingchuan had endless energy.
"It's not heavy." He said, squatting slightly and picking up the shoulder pole without frowning.
Su Heng carried her basket of peaches on her back and couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.
Because they also had to make canned food, the two of them only made this one trip.
After returning home, Su Heng went to boil water, as a large amount of boiled water was needed for canning, while Lu Mingchuan washed peaches in front of the sink.
They were busy as hell, and Zhaocai also joined in the fun.
Although the kitten has grown a lot in recent days, it is still very small compared to two adults.
Su Heng was afraid that it would be stepped on accidentally because it was moving back and forth. When she saw it picking peaches, she found a hard green peach and threw it into the yard.
A ball-like peach rolled over, and little Zhaocai was immediately attracted by it. He ran over like a dog and kicked it for fun.
Su Heng laughed and said to Lu Mingchuan, "Why is it just like a dog?"
"Maybe it's because of your scolding." Lu Mingchuan said helplessly.
Who told Su Heng to throw wooden sticks for Zhaocai to pick up whenever he had nothing to do, and called it exercise? I guess if he trains him a little more he will really be able to fetch the things he threw back like a dog.
Su Heng firmly refused to admit it. "Okay, get to work. After peeling the peaches, we need to soak them in salt water again. The sugar water should be cooled by the time we pour it."
Peeling peaches is a delicate job. Two people brought a small stool and sat in front of the wooden basin, using only a kitchen knife.
Su Heng peeled the vegetables very slowly with a big knife. After peeling for a while, she remembered that the chickens, ducks and rabbits had not been fed yet.
"You peel it first. I'll go feed the rabbits and come back."
After feeding the poultry, she watered the vegetable garden. The cucumbers were ready to be eaten, so she picked two.
When he came back, Lu Mingchuan had already peeled the peaches and was cutting the peach flesh in a clean wooden basin.
With a snap of his knife, the crisp and tender peach was split in half, and the peach pit in the middle was easily picked out with the tip of the knife. It was very relaxing to watch.
Lu Mingchuan heard the noise and glanced at Su Heng calmly: "You're back, go fill the cans."
Su Heng coughed lightly and said, "As expected of you, you work really efficiently."
"Thank you for the compliment."
A smile appeared in Lu Mingchuan's eyes, and he felt that Su Heng was inexplicably cute.
The peach flesh soaked in salt water is put into the jar one by one, and the cooled sugar water is poured in. Finally, the lid is covered without screwing it on. Steam it in a steamer for a while, take it out, tighten it, turn it upside down and let it cool.
The canned peaches are ready.
Su Heng specially put a basin of well water and put the canned food in it to chill it.
The next morning, I tried it with Lu Mingchuan. It was cold and appetizing, and the peach flesh was crispy. It seemed to be a successful dish.
The can was a little small, about two or three hundred milliliters. The two of them opened a can each, and even Lu Mingchuan, who didn't like sweet soup, thought it was good.
After dinner, Su Heng filled her backpack with canned food and also put the remaining peaches into two bags and tied them to the horizontal bar.
They may go to the glass factory to inquire about the situation and give some favors to others. The more people you meet, the more likely you are to get things done.
Lu Mingchuan drove Su Heng to the black market first. Someone saw that they brought so many things and came over curiously to ask what they were selling.
Su Heng simply got out of the car and asked Lu Mingchuan to untie the bag and show it to anyone who was interested.
"How much do you sell this for?" asked an old lady carrying a basket.
Su Heng thought about it. The last time she bought such sour apricots, it only cost five cents. This peach is so sweet, so it wouldn’t be too much to double the price.
So he smiled and said, "One cent a pound."
"Can it be cheaper?" The old lady wanted to bargain.
Another old man said, "Give me three pounds."
Lu Mingchuan quickly took out a small scale and weighed peaches for the old man. The old woman glared at the old man fiercely.
Su Heng could only smile and say, "It's not easy for us to transport it here, so I won't bargain."
"Then what's in your backpack?" the old lady asked again.
The backpack was covered with a cloth. Upon hearing this, Su Heng lifted the cloth and took out a can of food.
"It's a can of freshly made syrup. It's especially refreshing in this weather."
The white peach pieces with reddish hues are soaked in sugar water, and you can almost smell the sweetness through the glass jar.
This lady's daughter married a worker in the city. She had just given birth and was in confinement. She hadn't been able to eat anything for a long time due to the bitter summer heat, which made her very worried.
When he saw the can, he was immediately delighted and asked, "Girl, how much do you sell this can for?"
Things with added sugar water are definitely not cheap. The canned yellow peaches in the supply and marketing cooperative are sold for more than 90 cents and are often out of stock and hard to get.
Su Heng decided to offer a discount of 1 cent over the supply and marketing cooperative, so she said, "80 cents a can."
"It's so expensive." The old lady wanted to say something, but when she saw the old man next to her looking over after weighing the peaches, she immediately reached out and grabbed the can and said, "Okay, I'll take it."
Su Heng smiled with her eyebrows curved: "Okay."
The old man stood on tiptoe to look at the basket and asked, "Are there any cans left?"
"some."
…
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