Peach Preserves
There is nothing quite like fresh peach preserves - the sweet, floral scent of peaches encased in a silky thick nectar.
Equipment
- Large kettle or stockpot
- Sturdy wooden spoon
- Candy thermometer
- 5 canning jars, 8-ounces each
- Funnel
- Ladle
- Canner, optional
Ingredients
- 5 packed cups peeled, sliced peaches, about 10 to 12 peaches
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
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!