Would you love to experience the fresh taste of a ripe, juicy August peach any time of year? Well, here’s a recipe for Easy Peach Preserves. Enjoying these mid-winter just might give you a flash back to that true summer experience of standing at the kitchen sink and letting the juices of these blushing golden orbs run down your chin, hand, and arm as you savour each juicy morsel.
There’s a short process of blanching the peaches. Then, all you have to do is slice them and add them to a simple sugar syrup pack of a little ascorbic acid, sugar, and water. And, voila! You’ll have freezer packs of glowing sliced peaches that will taste as fresh as the day you picked them from the farmers’ market stall (or tree if you are so fortunate).
What’s the best type of peaches to use?
I wait until August because that’s when the FREESTONE varietals are in season. According to BC Tree Fruits, the best ones are Redhaven, Blazing Star, Flamecrest, and Elegant Lady. They may not be labelled as such when you are buying them at the market stall but just make sure you are getting FREESTONES not clingstones. The Clingstones are sweet and juicy early season peaches with a pit that is much more difficult to remove, as the name suggests.
Other Peachy Tips:
- Choose firm, ripe FREESTONE peaches.
- Let your nose be the guide as they should be fragrant. They are members of the rose family, after all.
- You’ll need about 5 to 6 peaches for each 4 cup bag you’ll preserve.
- 1 peach is generally ¾ cup and 3 peaches is generally 1 lb.
- Find ascorbic acid at your local pharmacy or health food store.
Fascinating Peach Facts:
Did you know the peach is native to China? It is the national fruit and heralded as a symbol of immortality and friendship. Peaches were introduced to Europe 2000 years ago and to North America in the 1500’s. There are approximately 800 peach growers in British Columbia and they produce about 7 million kilograms per year.
PrintEasy Peach Preserves
These glowing sliced peaches will taste as fresh as the day you bought them.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups
- Category: desserts
- Method: preserving
- Cuisine: canadian
Ingredients
For 1 batch (multiply as desired):
4 cups sliced peaches (about 5 to 6 large peaches)
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ascorbic acid
4 Tablespoons tap water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
- Use a slotted spoon to lower 6 peaches into the boiling water for blanching.
- Remove with the slotted spoon after 60 seconds and transfer the peached to the bowl of ice water.
- Use a knife to peel the skins and remove the pits once they are cool enough to handle.
- Slice in 4 cup batches.
- Stir the sugar, ascorbic acid, and water together in a bowl and add the peaches stirring until thoroughly coated with the syrup.
- Pour into a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible and freeze immediately.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight before the day you’d like to serve them.
- Enjoy with ice cream, on top of cakes, in yogurt or on their own.
Keywords: Easy Peach Preserves
