Spirited Peaches
Peach season came early this year, as did all the crops. A few weeks back, I convinced Steve that wide-mouth quart jars reasonably priced at the grocery store relative to CanTire (which is true but $12.99 for a case is still expensive). However, 3L of peaches were $2.99 (which ironically was the same price as the 2L containers as well).
My plan was to peel and pit them and halve, and pack in hot syrup with brandy or rum, but they weren’t ripe yet so I tried again last weekend.
I figure I can fit up to 5 pieces per jar: one each for Steve and I, my parents and Ryan, who will likely be the ones who most appreciate it. You let the jars sit until Thanksgiving or Christmas and serve over pork or roast chicken. The book recommends basting with the syrup throughout the baking time. Oh yum! I can imagine the rich and sticky taste 🙂
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 7 cups peaches, pitted, peeled and halved
- ¼ cup rum, brandy or 2 Tbs of peach schnapps per jar
- 2 wide-mouth quart jars and rings, sterilized and kept warm
Soak the cut fruit in citric acid (1L of water to ¼ cup lemon juice) to prevent browning.
In a large pot, combine sugar and water over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peaches and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, pack the peaches into hot jars, leaving a generous ½” of headspace. It is very important that you first ladle some of the hot syrup into the jar before adding the sprits, otherwise the difference in temperature could crack the jar. Then ladle in the remaining syrup, again leaving ½” of headspace.
Use a knife to remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary. Wipe the rim (this is important because the syrup is sticky and could prevent an airtight fit of the lid) and seal. Process in boiling water for 20 minutes, ensuring the lids are completely covered. Wait 5 minutes, then remove the jars and let cool at least 24 hours before storing.
I’ll let you know how it goes! BTW you can also do this in wide-mouth pint jars, but reduce the spirits by half.
