For Suzanne, who is blessed with an overabundance of peaches. (I was just
catching up with my backlog of digests -- hope these recipes aren't too
late.) Enjoy!
-- Christy Hardin Smith
from Wild, Wonderful West Virginia
SPICED PEACHES IN PEACH WINE
**These make a wonderful gift at Christmas as well**
12 lbs. peaches (about 24 large)
4 c. peach wine
2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. bottled lemon juice
whole stick cinanmon
whole cloves
Peel peaches and leav whole. Put peaches in acid solution while you peel all
the fruit. Cook wine, both sugars, lemon juice, and spices. Stir constantly
until sugar dissolves and liquid begins to boil. Drain and reserve syrup.
Rinse peaches if necessary. Stick one or two cloves into each peach. Add
peaches to syrup and heat just until peaches are slightly softened. Remove
pan from stove and let peaches sit overnight in syrup. (This will keep them
from shriveling.) Next day, remove the cinnamon stick and reheat peaches.
When hot, pack the peaches as tightly as you can in hot jars. You can add
one cinnamon stick per jar if you like. Cover peaches with hot syrup,
release air bubbles, and add more syrup if necessary. Clean rims and seal.
Process quart jars for 20 to 25 minutes inn water bath canner. Makes 6
quarts.
PEACH-RASPBERRY JAM
3 large peaches
1 c. raspberries
1/4 c. bottled lemon juice
6 c. sugar
1 pkg. (2 oz.) powdered fruit pectin
Peel, pit and slice peaches. Whirl peaches in food processor until coarsely
chopped. Clean raspberries carefully. Put peaches, raspberries, lemon juice
and pectin into large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add
sugar all at once and stir until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil
rapidly for 1 minute. Let jam sit for 5 minutes while you skim off any foam.
Ladle into hot jars, clean rims, seal and process in water bath canner for
10 minutes. Makes 7 half-pints.
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