PopoMyers
Free Ranging
I think we are at about the same latitude, but weather can be hard to predict. A friend recommended Delicata years ago, and I haven't been successful in the few times I tried. Giving up on those. Might try a bush turban next season. Did not have to grow winter squash in Texas, as very successful sweet potatoes made a great garden and table substitute. And, no squash bug problems. My Greensleeves apple is an English variety.I'll look for some seeds! We get really huge, wild vines on our blue banana squash but the wildest squash vine has got to be the Naples Long we grew last year! It filled our polytunnel and exploded out of it for another 30ft or so. It was a colossal waste of time as the 4 fruit it carried were eaten by rabbits just before they matured!
I've tried twice to grow delicata with little success. I got no fruit the first time and harvested ONE slightly immature fruit last year! We had a great summer last year so I am wondering if our season is a little too short for them outdoors this far north?
I've never tried to make wine but I'm fascinated by the process. I bet peach wine is utterly delightful! My uncles and grandad used to home brew and ferment. My uncle's plum wine was to die for.
I think you're wise to wait before embarking on a sticky task, when I had my carpal tunnel surgery 14 years ago, I got bored and made raspberry jam. BIG mistake! I ended having to go back to the hospital just to get my dressings changed and a lecture on using my hand before I should. If only I'd wrapped the dressing in a plastic bag!
Wine seems to be the best way to "preserve" fruit for us. Not much jam or canned fruit or jams get eaten, and makes a great gift. The process is easy. Just the waiting isn't...... Can't rush the aging process. Luckily, non grape fruit wines mature between 6-12 months. The plum wine is in the second ferment and racking. Looks to be around 14%. I've never made peach wine before. Here's a crazy thing. I hardly drink alcohol, because genetically my liver doesn't have the enzyme to process alcohol, so it goes straight into my bloodstream. Just enjoy making it.