Spiced Peaches

Remember last week when I attempted to can fifty pounds of peaches?

First of all, I did it.  Go me!

Second of all, when you buy 40 pounds of peaches at once, there is going to be a lot of bruised fruit.  Pick out the good ones for canning in honey or a spiced sugar syrup (below), and turn the bruised ones into jam.  Unless you’re into the “super-mushy canned peaches in the middle of December” thing.

And for the record, fifty pounds of peaches will give you approximately 25 half-pint jars of jam and 53 pint jars of peach slices.

That sounds like a lot, I know.  But consider this:  there are 37 weeks between the beginning of October and the beginning of strawberry season.  In those 37 weeks, the only local fruit available will be stored apples.  I can only eat so many apples, people!  So I’ll be depending on my frozen and canned fruit.  Fifty-three jars of peaches means we will have 1-2 jars to eat each week.  Sounds about right to me!

But honestly, if I don’t see another peach for the next few days, I’d be okay with that.  I’m a little peached-out at the moment.

Spiced Peaches

Adapted from “Canning for a New Generation” by Liana Krissoff

Makes 10-11 pint jars

8 pounds of freestone peaches

1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice

4 cups granulated sugar

8 cups water

11 cinnamon sticks

11 allspice berries

22 whole cloves

Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl and fill 3/4 of the way with cold water.  Halve, pit and slice the peaches, and put the slices in the lemon water.  This will keep the peaches from turning brown.

Prepare for canning. Wash the jars and flat lids with hot, soapy water. Put the jars in the canning pot and fill the pot with hot water. Heat over medium-high heat to keep the jars hot. Place the lids in a heat-proof bowl.

Note:  My canning pot only holds 7 jars at a time, so I did this in two shifts.

In a large saucepot, bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat.

Move some of the boiling water from the canning pot into the heat-proof bowl containing the lids. Line the hot jars up on a folded towel, then pour the water out of the heat-proof bowl and off the lids.

Drop 1 cinnamon stick, 1 allspice berry and 2 cloves into each jar.  Pack peach slices into the jars up to an inch below the rim.  Pour the hot sugar syrup over the peaches, filling to 1/2″ below the rim.  Use a clean towel to wipe any syrup off the rims, then top each jar with a lid and a tightened ring. Place the jars back in the canning pot and make sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Place the jars on a folded towel and allow to sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check the seals of the lids after 1 hour. If a seal has not formed, refrigerate the jar immediately.

 

If you’re getting sick of peach recipes on here, never fear:  I think I’m done with them for awhile.