SWEET PRESERVATION: Boozy Peach Sauce

Peaches have always been one of my favorite fruits. When you bite into a fresh picked summer peach and the juice runs over your tongue, well I find it to be one of the most satisfying natural sweets under the sun.

The Sweet Preservation website is Washington State Fruit Commission’s blog dedicated to the art of preserving fruit, and really is chock full of useful information. As an official 'Canbassador' for the Commission, I was awarded a box of stone fruit for preserving.  A number of peaches were in the mix, just as I had hoped.

My mother makes a wonderfully chunky Peach Jam in the traditional fashion (meaning heavy on the sugar). As the oldest of five, when I was young, this jam was so coveted that I would try to squirrel a jar or two away, hiding it in the back of the refrigerator so I wouldn’t have to share. I must admit those selfish tendencies still exist, and once you taste this Boozy Peach Sauce you might just be hiding a jar or two so you won’t have to share either.

Even if you haven’t done much jam, jelly or sauce making this recipe is easy; sweet summer fruit simmered in sugar and booze until they melt into a sauce. If you haven’t preserved fruit before, or would simply like to review safe canning practices visit Sweet Preservations’ link, Preservation 101.

You can swap the peaches for other stone fruits – think apricots, nectarines, yes, even plums. Use bourbon or rum in place of the brandy, depending on your palette and what is in the cabinet. You can peel the peaches if you like, but if they are well washed, there is really no need, just split, pit and cube them. If you use the hot water bath, this sauce may be kept on the shelf for up to a year. Otherwise, store it in the fridge for a month more or less.

Just a splash of this lusciously sweet treat turns ordinary vanilla ice cream into a heavenly dessert. Delicious warmed and drizzled over traditional pound cake, as a sweetener for your smoothies, or a glaze for your pork roasts, chicken, or duck: like many home preserves the possibilities are endless.

Boozy Peach Sauce also makes a wonderful holiday gift, but beware, one taste will have your family and friends begging for more.





I chose Christian Brothers Brandy for my Boozy Peach Sauce, mostly because it brought back
childhood memories of visiting the now shuttered Christian Brothers Winery in New York State.




BOOZY PEACH SAUCE


INGREDIENTS

6 cups chopped pitted Peaches

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 cups lightly packed Brown Sugar

1 cup Raw Sugar

3/4 cup Brandy

1 tsp grated Lemon Zest

DIRECTIONS

Prepare your boiling water canner. Sterilize jars, set lids in simmering water until ready for use. Set bands aside. 

When chopping your peaches, toss with Lemon Juice to keep from browning.

Combine Peaches, Sugars, Booze and Lemon Zest in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.




Boozy peaches cooking on the stovetop.
Lids and Hot Water Bath simmering away in the background.


Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and re-measure headspace. If needed, add more sauce to meet recommended headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.

Process filled jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal.

Store in dark cool pantry for a year. Makes 3 - 4 pints.

PERSIMMON MARMALADE & QUINCE-APPLE SAUCE

Heart-shaped Hachiya persimmons.
photo courtesy of Pixmax

It really should not surprise me, knowing just how many different, unique and nutritional fruits are available for canning and preserving, but sometimes I am pleasantly startled by the local bounty sitting right under my nose.

I have learned that taking the time to put aside fresh foods in season is good not only for my physical health, but for my mental health as well. I love the gathering, planning, chopping, blending, cooking, processing, not to mention the fun of recipe researching, as well as being rewarded with shelves of lovely, delicious bottles of goodies to share with my family and friends.

In that spirit, I decided to make sure I paid closer attention to local bounty, which led me to two fruits which are relatively under appreciated, but steadily regaining popularity here in the United States: the persimmon and the quince.

PERSIMMON

Though persimmons are Japan's national fruit, many Americans are unfamiliar with them. With persimmon season running from late October through December here in the northeast, now is the perfect time to try something different.

There are two types of persimmons: Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu persimmons are squat and dense. Their skin ranges from pale yellow-orange to brilliant reddish-orange; generally, the darker the color, the sweeter the taste. Fuyu persimmons are non-astringent, which means you can eat them either firm or soft. Firm Fuyus can be eaten like an apple, skin and all, and when you slice off the top, a beautiful star is centered in the flesh.

Heart-shaped Hachiya persimmons have a deep orange skin. Hachiyas are astringent, which means they can be eaten only when fully ripe. When a Hachiya persimmon is ripe, it should feel very soft, almost mushy. If you purchase some and they are still firm, place them in a paper bag with a banana and set on a pantry shelf for a few days.

For me the persimmon’s exotic flavor, reminiscent of apricot/mango, brings to mind warm tropical breezes. When perfectly ripe, the coral colored flesh scoops easily from its skin with a spoon, already resembles jelly.

I preserved Hachiya persimmons as a marmalade using a simple vintage recipe I discovered through Uncle Phaedrus, Consulting Detective and Founder of Lost Recipes; but there are many other fun and tasty persimmon recipes if marmalades are not your thing.

Persimmon and Granny Smith Salsa or Persimmon, Gingersnap, and Caramel Sundaes, can be found on Food Blogga. CHOW also has a fabulous recipe for Boozy Persimmon Pudding.


PERSIMMON MARMALADE

 

INGREDIENTS

2 Quarts ripe Persimmons

¾ Cup Honey

1 Cup Orange Juice

Grated rind of 1 Orange

5-7 Half Pint Jars


DIRECTIONS

Cut the tops off the persimmons; scoop out the flesh; discard seeds and cores.

Mash Persimmons and cook with Honey, Orange Juice and Orange Rind over medium heat until mixture is thick. Do not allow to boil.

Ladle into canning jars leaving 1/4  inch headspace.

Process in a Boiling Hot Water Bath for 10 minutes

QUINCE


The birthplace of the Quince is believed to have been the Fertile Crescent in Asia Minor, the cradle of civilization. From there it spread to the Mediterranean, delighting Greeks and Romans with its tart  flavor and potent aroma.

A bowl of quinces, or in my case a bag on the counter waiting to be preserved, perfumes the air. Once you have worked with quinces and had their fragrance lingering in your kitchen, you will forever dream of that time of year when they will once again decorate your counter and intoxicate you with their aroma.

The whitish quince flesh turns rosy when cooked, and is traditionally stewed, poached, or baked in desserts, often with other fruits. It is especially prized in the Middle East but also well-loved in South America, where it is often used in savory meat dishes. In Spain, quince becomes a dense paste to eat with cheese.

The quince was popular in Colonial America, and quinces grew at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Having grown up in Connecticut I was familiar with quinces, but had never had the opportunity to track some down for preserving. Luckily I have some personal ties to the Averill Orchard in Washington, Connecticut. Though they only have a few trees and do not usually sell these golden apples to the public, I was able to wrangle a peck for adding to my apple sauce.

Here in the Northeast United States, the skin of the bumpy, pear-shaped quince is rough and woolly and needs a good scrubbing before you use it in your recipes, and are not palatable to eat as you would an apple, but poached, stewed, sauced or jellied they add a sweet dimension to many a dish.

My simple recipe for Quince-Applesauce is a quick and easy way to familiarize yourself with the fruit. Besides, with Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays right around the corner, who couldn’t use a few jars of homemade sauce for the dinner table? And this applesauce with the added quince will leave everyone who tastes it begging for more.

If you want to try quince in a dinner dish, check this out:
SAFFRON INFUSED CHICKEN WITH QUINCE / Heyvali ve Zeferanli Toyuq

For more interesting facts and a few vintage recipes for quince click here.



Local Quince and Apples from Averill Orchards in Washington, Connecticut.


 
QUINCE-APPLE SAUCE

 

INGREDIENTS

1 Peck whole Quinces

1/2 Peck whole Apples

2 cups Apple Cider

1/2 cup Honey

2 Tbsp. Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

6 – 8  Pint Jars

 

 DIRECTIONS

Wash the Quinces and Apples well, and cut into chunks. Leave in the cores and seeds, but cut out bruised portions, stems, and the blossom end of the fruits.

Place in a large pot with a lid, along with the apple cider.

Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to moisten all the fruit; reduce heat to low.

Leaving the lid a bit ajar, cook for a few hours, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is mushy. Be careful not to let the fruit burn on the bottom of the pot.

Remove from heat and scoop the fruit into a food mill.

Puree, and then taste. Adjust more or less until sauce is at desired sweetness with the honey and brown sugar. Add in cinnamon. Stir thoroughly.

Return to pot and bring to simmer again. You want the sauce hot when you add to the jars.

Ladle into clean canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Use a knife to remove any air pockets.
If you have leftovers that won’t fill up a jar, keep in refrigerator for immediate treat.

Process jars in a Boiling Hot Water Bath 15 minutes.

Hot Water Bath or Pressure Canning

GRAMMIE CONN'S COOKIES

Since the 1930s, Christian children have left cookies and milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.  Growing up, my family tradition was to leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk by the fireplace where Santa would magically descend, entering our abode and delivering gift wrapped packages making all our dreams come true. One year, my mother found a pair of wooden shoes, probably at a thrift shop or a church rummage sale, and they became part of our Christmas Eve tradtition.  She told us Norwegian children left something for Santa's faithful reindeer too; as enchanted by flying reindeer as we were by Santa, we stuffed the shoes with carrots and set them next to the milk and cookies. I always imagined Heidi high on a snowy Alpine mountain, nibbling cookies and waiting for Santa Claus, just like me.(Remember, I was just a dreamy-eyed kid with questionable geograph skills).

The holiday season always brings to mind my Grammie Conn’s Molasses Cookies.  She made them all year long and always had some stored in a tin, high on the shelf in the pantry.  A trip to Grammie’s house was fun for so many reasons, but there was nothing more exciting thsn being given the privilege of carrying the kitchen stool to the back of the pantry, reaching high on the shelf, and  lifting down the tin, knowing a cold glass of milk would be waiting on the kitchen table to wash those delicious cookies down with. I would happily help Grammie with all kinds of chores if I was going to be rewarded with molasses cookies and milk.

These cookies smell and taste like thick ginger snaps with that destinctive dark molasses undertone. It takes two days to complete the process because of resting time in the refrigerator for the dough but you can mix the batter one evening after work, and bake them the next. Though cookies are delicious any time of year, the holiday season can't help but encompasses tradition and memories of childhood and family. That is what this recipe represents to me - preserving memories of time spent with my grandparents on Malletts Lane.
I hope you will enjoy these cookies as much as I do. Happy Holidays!

GRAMMIE CONN'S COOKIES



INGREDIENTS

2 cups Flour


2 tsp. Baking Soda


1 tsp. Salt


1 tsp. Cloves


1 tsp. Cinnamon


1 tsp. Ginger


1 Egg, beaten


1/4 cup Sweet Butter


1 cup Sugar


1/3 cup Molasses




DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and molasses. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix. Chill in refrigerator overnight. The mixture may seem a bit crumbly, but that’s all right. Hand roll chilled dough into walnut sized balls. Roll in sugar (optional, but delicious.) Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes. Let cool on cookie racks before packing into your special tin.

These cookies are crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside; best served simply with a tall, cold glass of fresh milk.