Heather says:
It’s peach season in the south.
We learned, the hard way, that peaches that feel ripe when picked may be too ripe as soon as they are brought home. So, instead of my normal process of picking one day and processing the next, we had a marathon kitchen adventure last Saturday. I was too covered in peach juice to bring my camera anywhere near the fray.
This peach syrup is a great use for peaches that are too ripe for almost anything but eating out of hand. I have a few jars stashed away to give to new neighbors or as Christmas gifts.
Remember when canning to check the rims of your jars for cracks or burrs. Never reuse the lids for canning*.
*I do however use the lids for other purposes that don’t require an airtight seal: short term freezing, covering something in the fridge, storing dried beans.*
Before beginning sterilize your jars and keep them hot and start heating the water for processing the jars.
Just before filling the jars sterilize the lids.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups peach puree (peeled, pitted, and whirred with a blender)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 TBSP lemon juice (this is important for the acidity and color)
- 2 tsp vanilla
Yield = 3 pints
Over medium heat in a heavy pot, combine the peach puree, sugar, and lemon juice. Heat to boiling then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently for five minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
Pour into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe all the rims with a clean cloth and center the lids. Add the bands and tighten to finger tight (this means don’t strain to tighten them, air needs to be able to escape).
Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.
Remove the jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Before storing, check the lids for a seal. They should not flex when pressed.
Enjoy!
hmm, if i move to moncks corner, i can be heather’s new neighbour *and* i’ll be close to Moose’s
…
This sounds really good – have you tried it with other fruits? Or, with frozen fruits? I”ve got a ton of fruit in my freezer that I need to make jam or something with, soon! (As in, before more fruit comes in – i was supposed to use it during the winter, but my freezer is still full. Bad, bad, ThatBobbieGirl
I think this would work for plums, blueberries (skip the peeling), and strawberries.
I made blueberry syrup in a very similar way, but didn’t can them since I’ve never done that and don’t know how. It was really good syrup though.
OOH, That sounds good. No peaches in my neck of the woods though or not cheap enough to buy yet.
May have to keep my eye out for cheap peaches… I love pancakes!
Oh, I never thought about reusing the lids for other purposes. I feel a bit sheepish that I’ve been tossing them, even though I use mason jars for storage all the time. Oops!
This reminds me of a slightly unrelated topic…I have had a really good pie at a restaurant out here that’s a fresh peach pie. I’m not sure if there are any cooked peaches at all. It’s so good! If you want to offer any other peach recipes, this would be my vote. We had it at Marie Callendars’ restaurant.
I made this this weekend but only got 2.5 pints (5 half pints). It also seemed quite sweet. We haven’t tried it yet since I got exactly 5 half pints and I processed them all, but we’re looking forward to it..
It’s definitely quite sweet. Crud, you are right about the yield, between the syrup and the jam I forgot to change it from the original recipe. I’m sorry about that. I got just shy of 3 pints.
YUMMM!!!
Made this this weekend. It is GOOD. I got 3 pints exactly
I am so glad you had good results!
Can I make the syrup the day before? If so how would you store it?
You can store it in the refrigerator, it has plenty of syrup so it should keep for a little while. Toss it at the first sign of going bad. That said, do not make it to can the following day. It shouldn't cool between preparation and preserving. Good luck!
Just made the syrup. Think the vanilla flavoring is too strong for my taste. Wish I had not added it. Having said that, it does smell wonderfully!
This tastes fantastic!! That being said, I cooked it up and then was distracted, and now am wondering if I can freeze the cooked syup instead of canning it? Wondering if it would be safe to do so in a mason/gem jar too!
thats exactly what i was thinking- my grandma made pure peach syrup- with sugar- and the dash of lemon- pure perfection
Made this recipe yesterday. Tasted awesome. Yield was 5 1/2 bottles (12 oz bottles). I water bath processed the bottles. It took 15 medium sized peaches. The recipe does need a pinch or two of salt to help enhance the peach flavor.