Preserving Peaches...

[gssgarden]

Do any of you can/preserve Peaches?

What's your secrect recipe? Never did it before so I'd figure I'd give it a try.

Thanks,

Greg

[kterlep]

My peach tree will bear next year (I took off its babies this year) but you should follow a standard, tried and tested recipe (as opposed to someone's grandma's recipe) for safety's sake. I hear the ones in sugar are better. Do you have a copy of the Ball Blue Book?

[gssgarden]

No, I don't but it's something I have looked into before but never got around to buying it. I'll look for it tonight.
I really want to try it this year.

Thanks,

Greg

[kterlep]

Peach jam is also delicious (especially if you add some cinnamon) and is very easy to process.

The Ball Blue Book is a very inexpensive resource. If you google "Ball Blue Book" and peaches you may find the directions that someone else has typed out (but again, for the $7 or whatever they cost, it's worth it to have the "bible" for safety's sake).

[aninocentangel]

The National Center for Food Preservation has all sorts of approved recipes for home canning, among other things. A Ball Blue Book is a good reference to have, I've also heard that Preserving the Harvest is another good book, haven't looked through it though.
Enjay

[cottonpicker]

When I was a young child in the 1940s my mother & grandmother
preserved what they called "Pickled Peaches". Don't have a recipe and haven't tasted or seen them in more than 50 years but I remember they were spiced with cloves and preserved in a syrup. Anyone else out there remember such a thing?

[aninocentangel]

I've never had them but I picked up a half bushel of peaches today at the farmer's market and this sounds interesting:
Peach Pickles
8 lbs peeled peaches, small to medium sized
4 sticks cinnamon
2 Tablespoons whole cloves, crushed
1 Tablespoon ground ginger or 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
6 cups sugar
1 quart vinegar
Wash and peel peaches. Treat to prevent darkening as outlined under Canning Peaches. Tie spices in a
cheesecloth bag. Combine sugar, vinegar, and spice bag in a large pan; bring to a boil and boil 5
minutes. Drain peaches in the boiling syrup until they can be pierced with a fork but not soft. Remove
from heat and allow peaches to sit in pickling liquid overnight in the refrigerator to plump. Bring mixture
to a boil. Remove spice bag. Pack hot peaches into hot jars. Ladle hot liquids over peaches leaving ¼
inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes
for both pints and quarts.
Yield: Approximately 3 quarts.

[cottonpicker]

That recipe sounds about right for what I remember of the taste from the spices involved. While it's not really preserving, there's nothing like the heavenly taste of freshly made peach ice cream in the summertime!