Peach Leather was a dried peach confection used long before canning was in common practice. I’m told that the method was brought from Africa by early slaves and Peach Leather was made in the South before it spread to other parts of the country.
“In order to obtain the best results very soft peaches are used for Peach Leather, ripe to perfection, but not over-ripe. Wipe peaches off, seed and mash them to a smooth pulp, spread thin on platters and set in the sun. This should be well protected by fine mosquito bar from flies.
“When one side is dried to a slight brown, turn it with a knife so the other side will dry. Two or three days during the sunniest hours will complete the drying. The leather is then sprinkled with brown sugar, rolled up, wrapped in paper and placed in stone jars and covered closely. For serving, it is sliced through the roll.”
Lorin Best
Mission, Texas
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.