Peach Preserves

More preserves??? Look, there's nearly an unlimited supply of preservation options. And peaches? Well, the state fruit o' Georgia defines summer flavor. The sweetness and juiciness of fresh peaches are captured in preserves, like catching a firefly in a jar. You get to keep 'em in there a little while to admire their beauty and light. Disclaimer: fireflies won't survive as long as peach preserves in a jar and I strongly advise against spreading them on a sandwich.

Peach preserves follow the fairly standard protocol of preserves. Crush 'em up, cook with sugar, add pectin, JAR! Though I have seen some versions of peach preserves without pectin (some fruits, like blueberries, have enough natural pectin in them to firm up after cooking), I have really liked the consistency of the last few preserves I've made and decided to stick with it.

Contrary to the instructions provided with the pectin, I prefer to let the fruit cook for a few minutes. Many of the pectin instructions indicate to toss the fruit in the pan, heat it up, then add the pectin and boil for a minute. Thus far, I have opted to cook the fruit for a few minutes prior, and have been satisfied with the results.

I used the same water bath canning technique I wrote about in my blueberry preserves post. Once the preserves were finished, I spooned the final product into freshly sterilized jars and then boiled them to seal them. And then I gave them all away because I can't help myself.

My favorite part of this post was certainly the photos and the little snacks you've seen if you've survived my writing long enough to scroll this far. What you have here is toasted French bread slices topped with goat cheese, peach preserves, and a little fresh basil (I don't grow these herbs for nothing!). 

First off, my little appetizer was amazing. I can't take credit for the combo, though, as a friend of a friend suggested this (with a few more additions), and I took the idea and ran. When you are working with toppings or side dishes, capturing the flavor in the photo can be challenging. I was brainstorming ideas to avoid just another boring toast image, and this idea came up. And man, goat cheese is amazing.

Let's focus on the preserves. They are perfect. The peaches are perfectly soft and the pectin made this wonderfully thick and spreadable. The addition of nutmeg added a tasty flavor as well, and honestly, I'm happy to have the peach and juiciness around without worrying how long fresh fruit will survive my fridge. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up, a smile, and another bite of those goat cheese snacks outta do it for a rating.

Peach Preserves Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups crushed peaches - (about 7-10 peaches)

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 packet pectin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:

Wash peaches and peel if desired (peeling prevents a reddish color to the final product). Chop peaches finely. Add to a medium saucepan with sugar, then heat to medium. Stirring frequently, cook for 5-10 minutes until the mixture begins to become liquidy. Add pectin and heat to boiling for one minute. Remove from heat. Add to sterilized jars and can if desired.