Earlier this year, my mom, who was in Florida at the time, was speaking nostalgically about her mom’s pickled peaches. Over Labor Day weekend, I was staying at her home and decided to look through my mom’s cookbooks, where I saw one that looked to me like it might belong to my grandmother. I found pickled peaches in the index and when I went to the page, I found it bookmarked and soiled from being open while cooking. The cookbook, The Best of the Midwest Kitchens, was published in 1948. The original recipe assumed the reader had a significant knowledge of canning and preparing peaches to can. I have added steps, so even a novice canner can prepare these peaches.
Pickled Peaches
Yield: 4 quarts
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash and sterilize quart, lids and rings.
- Boil 4 quarts of water. In batches, blanche peaches for one minute, then transfer to an ice bath. Slice peaches in half, remove pit and peel skin.
- Quarter peaches and put a clove in each peach section. In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the peaches and simmer until tender. Remove from heat. Place cover on pot and let stand overnight. Pack peaches in hot sterile jars. Boil the liquid until thickened. Remove the cinnamon sticks and pour liquid over peaches, filling until almost to top. Seal lids after wiping jar rim with a hot rag to remove any drippings that could affect jars from sealing. The jars must be submerged in a hot bath for 15 minutes or longer if you are above sea level. Remove jars and cool. Once they cool, check the lids to ensure they are sealed and do not bounce back when pressure is placed upon the lid. Store in a cool place for several weeks before using.