Canning Bourbon Peaches Food

BOURBON PEACHES

Steps:

• Select your peaches, its best if you have a relationship with a particular orchard.
• I always buy my peaches at Gold's Orchard, in Stonewall, Texas.
• Lynette Gold gives me the heads up by email when to run on over and pick up those wonderful sweet perfect peaches that the family grows.
• Make sure that the peach is freestone.
• Bring a large pot filled half way with water to a boil, reduce the heat and keep just at a low boil.
• Place whole peaches in water for 2 minutes (this may vary, depending on the ripeness of the peach-the riper they are the shorter it will take) Remove from water, let cool until you can handle the fruit.
• Remove pit by slicing peach in half length-wise, then peel.
• Place fruit in clean hot jars (I use wide mouth jars for this).
• Pack tightly.
• Meanwhile, Take 4 cups sugar, 2 cups filtered water, 2 cups bourbon (I use Ira's Canadian Hunter) Cinnamon to taste, Nutmeg to taste and Allspice berries- about 10 or so- bring to a boil, stir until sugar is dissolved- let simmer while peeling peaches.
• Should be reduced by 1/3.
• Ladle bourbon syrup over peaches, leaving about 1 inch head space at the top of the jar.
• Use new seals and clean rings, screwing tightly down on the top of the jar.
• Place jars in boiling water bath for 45 minutes.
• When you remove the jars from the water bath, the bourbon syrup should still be boiling.
• Set jars aside, allow to cool.

CANNED PEACHES WITH BOURBON

Steps:

• Prepare large pot with boiling water.
• Make an x in each peach bottom.
• Boil peaches, in batches, for approximately 2 minutes.
• Remove peaches from boiling water & put into water/ice bath with lemon juice (to prevent discoloration).
• Peel & pit peaches. (Set aside skins & pits for jelly later if you want).
• Place peeled/pitted peaches back into water/ice bath.
• Sterilise 11 pint jars by washing & then baking at 225 degrees for 25 minutes or boiling for 10 minutes. Heat jar lids & rings in pot of simmering water.
• Fill canning pot with water & put onto boil.
• Combine sugar with 6 cups water & heat. Allow to simmer.
• Pack peach halves into jars, cut side down. This may require using chopsticks or forks to flip the fruit over. Pack the peaches in as tightly as you can manage without damaging them.
• Pour 1/4 cup bourbon into jars.
• Fill the rest of the way with your syrup, leaving 1/2" of headspace.
• Clean jar rims with a damp cloth & place lids & rings on finger tight.
• Place jars into canning pot & bring water back to a boil.
• Boil for 25 minutes.
• Allow jars to set in canner once time is up to prevent siphoning.
• Remove from canner, allow to cool for 24 hours, open & enjoy or store for up to a year.

DRUNKEN PEACHES (CANNING)

Steps:

• Bring the canner full of water to a boil. Cut an X on the bottom of each peach and blanch them in the canning water for 30 to 45 seconds, then drop them into ice water to chill. Slip the skins off when they are cool enough to handle.
• Make a syrup by heating the sugar and water together in a sauce pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cut each peeled peach into quarters, remove the pits, and pack them into the warm pint jars, overlapping them to fit. I get seven peach quarters in each jar, plus one leftover quarter I can eat.
• Add 1/4 Cup brandy to each jar of peaches. Add hot syrup to each jar, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Move a knife around in each jar to release any bubbles, then top off with more syrup if necessary. You will probably have extra syrup, but save it for sweetening other products or fruit mixtures.
• Process filled jars in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes (sea level). Let the jars rest for at least a week to develop best flavor.