Les Peches Modes
(Anybody who got that, congratulations.)
Yesterday I visited my mother, who had just been given a whole box of peaches, all of which were between dead ripe and starting to turn. This happened after she already canned peaches for the year but before her own peach tree ripened. I accepted forty peaches and today they HAD to be processed (use-it-or-lose-it time).
I peeled and pitted and cut out bad spots for a couple hours, and while I know there's a peach peeling-and-seed jelly out there, I didn't bother this time, being snowed under with peaches as it is.
I don't know the particular variety of peaches, they're medium size, mostly dark red and do NOT give up their pit easily. (Not as bad as clingstone peaches, but not what I'd expect from freestone varieties either.) Once peeled, I could use the paring blade to pop one half off, but then the pit resisted coming out of the other half until I dug in with my fingers and gouged it out. Which left the peach looking pretty sorry.
I laid my plans accordingly and sliced up the firmer, better halves for pie filling--I ended up freezing a gallon of it. The remaining mushy, battered halves and bits were squeezed through my fingers to make pulp and I then followed directions for what my copy of Putting Food By calls "Southern Peach Honey".
Peel and pit peaches and mash thoroughly. Measure pulp and stir in two cups sugar for every cup of pulp. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and simmer for half an hour or until thick and clear (stir to prevent sticking, and watch out--toward the end it'll spit on you). Pour into sanitized hot jars as for jam and seal.
This makes a preserve that isn't as stiff or spreadable as jam or jelly; it is indeed a thick, pourable "honey" consistency. I'd almost call it a peach marmalade, as the larger chunks of pulp are still hanging around but the small ones have completely dissolved.
It looks ideal for soppin' bistits.
Yesterday I visited my mother, who had just been given a whole box of peaches, all of which were between dead ripe and starting to turn. This happened after she already canned peaches for the year but before her own peach tree ripened. I accepted forty peaches and today they HAD to be processed (use-it-or-lose-it time).
I peeled and pitted and cut out bad spots for a couple hours, and while I know there's a peach peeling-and-seed jelly out there, I didn't bother this time, being snowed under with peaches as it is.
I don't know the particular variety of peaches, they're medium size, mostly dark red and do NOT give up their pit easily. (Not as bad as clingstone peaches, but not what I'd expect from freestone varieties either.) Once peeled, I could use the paring blade to pop one half off, but then the pit resisted coming out of the other half until I dug in with my fingers and gouged it out. Which left the peach looking pretty sorry.
I laid my plans accordingly and sliced up the firmer, better halves for pie filling--I ended up freezing a gallon of it. The remaining mushy, battered halves and bits were squeezed through my fingers to make pulp and I then followed directions for what my copy of Putting Food By calls "Southern Peach Honey".
Peel and pit peaches and mash thoroughly. Measure pulp and stir in two cups sugar for every cup of pulp. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and simmer for half an hour or until thick and clear (stir to prevent sticking, and watch out--toward the end it'll spit on you). Pour into sanitized hot jars as for jam and seal.
This makes a preserve that isn't as stiff or spreadable as jam or jelly; it is indeed a thick, pourable "honey" consistency. I'd almost call it a peach marmalade, as the larger chunks of pulp are still hanging around but the small ones have completely dissolved.
It looks ideal for soppin' bistits.