Peach Preserves

There is nothing quite like fresh peach preserves – the sweet, floral scent of peaches encased in a thick nectar.

My Grandparents had beautiful peach trees on their farm. As kids we would climb up into the trees and pluck these luscious pieces of fruit, warm from the Texas sun. One bite and their juice would be dripping down our chins.

I have several family recipes that I use when making peach preserves. All date back to the 1930s and are made without the use of commercial pectin. This version creates a thick, more traditional preserve. There are four simple ingredients – peaches, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of butter. The butter may seem like an odd addition, but it keeps any foam from building up while the preserves are cooking.

Some tips on some handy tools for making preserves. Start with a heavy-duty kettle or stockpot. Kilner makes a fabulous kettle specifically designed for making jams and preserves. You’ll also want a sturdy wooden spoon, a candy thermometer, a funnel, and a ladle. And you’ll need some patience.

For jars, Ball Canning is a known staple in the world of canning and preserving. My Mother and Grandmothers used Ball jars. I’ve personally poured preserves, jams and jellies into hundreds of Ball jars. And had more than a few come back from friends for refills!

And a quick tip for peeling the peaches. You can blanch them for one minute in boiling water, then drop them in an ice bath. The skin loosens and almost slips right off the fruit.

Peaches are still quite plentiful, so head to your local Farmer’s Market and enjoy peach season!

Peach Preserves

5 packed cups peeled, sliced peaches, about 10 to 12 peaches

5 cups sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon butter

Combine the peaches, sugar, vinegar, and butter in a large kettle or stockpot.

Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Once the sugar has completely dissolved, raise the heat to medium, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the kettle, and cook stirring frequently until the preserves are thick and the temperature reaches 218 to 220-degrees on a candy thermometer about 45 minutes.

The temperature will reach 220-degrees periodically while cooking, but if stirred will drop back down to a lower temperature. You’re looking for the temperature to be a constant 218 to 220-degrees when stirred. The preserves will be thickened slightly and be a dark amber color. You can drop some on a plate and when the preserves “set” they’re ready. You’re looking for a thick but not sticky consistency. The preserves will continue to set as they cool. Ladle the cooked preserves into five sterilized 8-ounce jars.

Keep refrigerated or process in a water bath following the jar manufacturer’s directions. Ball makes wonderful canning jars and has great step-by-step guidelines to canning safely on their website.

If you need to peel a lot of peaches, blanching is a quick way to handle this task. Using a sharp knife cut an “X” across the bottom of the peach, just cutting through the skin.

Then drop the peaches into boiling water for 1 minute.

Transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking.

The skin will peel right off!