BOURBON PEACH PRESERVES

Preserved and Pickled is once again honored to have been chosen as a Canbassador for the Washington State Fruit Commission. Last year we preserved some Pickled Italian Plums, Nectarine Jelly and Boozy Peach Sauce. This year we received a big box of peaches and decided to keep with the boozy theme.  What can I say, there is just something about the peach and bourbon combination that tickles my taste-buds.

What exactly is the Canbassador program, you might ask? Well,  I received a box of stone fruit (this year it is strictly peaches) from Washington State which I was encouraged to preserve (like I needed encouragement), blog about my efforts, and use SweetPreservation.com as a resource - great resource, check it out, so noo problem, right?

Since my Boozy Peach Sauce is so delish, and since its really sweet to have that summer-peachy-sunshine taste during those cold winter months (here in the Northeast, anyway), it was a no-brainer. 

Since I practice preserving, believe in simple, elegant pairings, and am always on the lookout for unique combinations of flavors for my pickles and preserves, Jim Beam is my bourbon of choice for these highly distinctive, divinely delicious, uniquely Bourbon Peach Preserves.  

Bonus, Kentucky Bourbon is part of American history: "Bourbon history, much like the Beam family bourbon dynasty, mirrors U.S. history. Rebellion. Progress. Heroes. Facts. Legends. It's why bourbon is, and will always be, America's Native Spirit—a spirit the Beam family has had a tremendous hand in helping to create, foster and grow, both in the U.S. and abroad, as key players in a great American story" (find link below). 

"America's Native History", "The Canning Revolution" - it just goes together like Apple Pie and Vermont Cheddar. So get in the kitchen and tell me you don't agree.

BOURBON PEACH PRESERVES


INGREDIENTS

10 pounds or 20 large Peaches (more or less), Pitted and  Sliced into halves or quarter segments

1/4 Cup Honey

1/8 Cup Sugar

 3 1/2 Cups Water

1 Pint Bourbon, more or less

2 slices Lemon or 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

8 Quart Jars

I used wide-mouth jars and I highly suggest you do to, because it is easier to get your ingredients in and out.

Simple Syrup - Syrups should be made at least the day before, it needs to be cool when packing your fruits.  The good news is it can set in the refrigerator for a bit. According to Putting Fruit By, you can estimate 3/4 pint of syrup for each quart jar of fruit. For a Light Syrup dissolve 2 cups Sugar to 4 cups water. Bring to a boil stirring constantly.  When sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and return to room temperature.  Place in container. Refrigerate at least overnight. Can be stored in refrigerator and used within a few weeks.


DIRECTIONS

Peel and cut peaches.  To keep them from browning, place slices in a gallon of water mixed with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Combine Honey and Water and in a non-reactive pot over medium heat (or have your Simple Syrup ready).  

Bring honeyed water to a boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Allow to simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. If using Lemon Juice, you will add directly to jar with Bourbon when packing.

Have sterilized canning materials and Hot Water Bath read to go.  Pack Peach Slices into hot, sterile jars. Discard lemon slices from honeyed water.  Ladle over fruit, leaving 1/2 inch head room and making sure there are no air pockets. 

Alternatively, add 3/4 tablespoon Lemon Juice and 4 tablespoons Bourbon to each jar (I prefer this method). Fill to 1/2 inch of rim with Simple Syrup leaving 1/2 inch head-room and checking for air pockets.  Cap. 

Either method, boil in Hot Water Bath for 10 minutes. (This means do not start the timer, after you have immersed the jars, until the water is rolling.) Remove jars, set to cool, check lids.

Rest for a minimum of two weeks on a dark, cool shelf before opening so the flavors can mingle.  May remain on cool, dark cellar or pantry cupboard for a year.  Refrigerate after opening.


What To Do With Them:


UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE - Sprinkle a well-buttered, flat (9x9 is nice) cake pan with brown or raw sugar, then layer with slices of drained fruit. If halved put the pit side down. Cover with butter cake batter (or yellow cake batter) and bake until done. Serve with crème fraîche or fresh whipped cream with a splash of the juice. (You can follow this recipe for any variety of preserved fruits - try Rhubarb)

ROASTS - Warm Bourbon Peach Preserves and serve with roasted pork, chicken, or especially  duck.

CAKE GLAZE - Mix the preserved juice with enough confectioners’ sugar to make it thick and creamy, but still runny enough to pour, then spoon it over simple cakes, muffins, cupcakes, or sweet rolls.

BOURBON PEACH POPSICLE - Puree the peaches and juice, pour in a mold, freeze with Popsicle stick.  Need I say more?

ICE CREAM – Pour it on.

STRAIGHT OUT OF THE JAR


http://www.jimbeam.com/about-bourbon/bourbon-history

SHERRIED STRAWBERRY JAM

     What a lovely surprise – two quarts of strawberries hand-delivered by Paul’s parents, Gayle and Richard. They have a home in the bucolic town of Bethel, Delaware surrounded by farmland, and they always bring us the season’s first offerings of strawberries, sweet corn, and melons.

     
      Of course, strawberries have been on my mind since gathering the season’s first stalks of rhubarb, and I already knew exactly what I was going to do with them – put by a small batch of SHERRIED STRAWBERRY JAM.

   Turning fruits into jams is one of my favorite spring and summer time activities. Homemade jams and jellies not only make great gifts, but are fantastic bases for sauces and glazes, and of course are perfect for slathering on top of bread or toast.

    The traditional way to make jams and jellies is to use LOTS of sugar, not only to add sweetness but also to help the fruits jell. The problem with this old-fashioned method is that you have to cook the fruit so long you cook much of the nutritional goodness right out of the batches ending up with a sugary syrup. Delicious, but...over the years I have moved away from using sugar (although I will sometimes use small amounts of raw sugar) to sweetening my jams with honey, and experimenting pairing other flavors with the fruits.  My favorite pairings besides a Cream Sherry and Strawberries are Blueberries with Ginger and Peaches with nutmeg; Raspberries and Blackberries I do prefer the old-fashioned way. 

     Sherry is a fortified wine that originated in the town of Jerez/Xérès (pronounced Sherish) in southern Spain. The term dry, when used with wine, refers to the absence of sugar. Without sugar to coat the mouth, masking the acid and tannins, your mouth will dry out. However, I've discovered coupled with  honey, the hint of dry sherry enhances the flavor of the strawberries without drying out your taste buds or overwhelming them with the syrupy sweetness of sugar .If you prefer you could substitute a sweeter sherry. 

    Cream Sherry is an Oloroso sweetened with rich Pedro Ximenez grapes. Its aroma is round, crisp and velvety. An ideal dessert aperitif, this sherry blends deliciously with the strawberries. Make sure to omit the honey or you might find the sweetness overwhelming. I also add a splash of Cider Vinegar and a dash of butter to this recipe. The vinegar enhances the flavors also acting as a natural preservative, while the butter helps keep the foaming to a minimum when bringing the batch to a boil thereby minimizing the amount of air bubbles in the mixture. One of the most important tenets of pickling and preserving is keeping air out of canning jars to aid in preventing spoilage.

SHERRIED STRAWBERRY JAM

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts Strawberries - Hulled and cut into halves or quarters

2 Tablespoons Honey

1/4 Cup Sherry

2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar (optional)

2 teaspoons Butter (optional)

1.75 oz. No Sugar Needed Pectin

DIRECTIONS

Review "Processing Instructions" included with box of pectin. Make sure your hot water bath has already been brought to a boil, then reduce heat to medium before starting next step.

In a non-reactive saucepan large enough to comfortably hold strawberries, heat Sherry, Cider Vinegar, Honey, and Butter over medium heat, stirring to combine ingredients. 

Add washed, hulled, and cut strawberries to mixture. (Don't worry, they will release their juices and provide plenty of liquid) Bring to a full boil over high heat stirring constantly, adding pectin to mixture and stirring in as strawberries release their juice.  Once mixture has reached a full, rolling boil, continue to boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  The butter should have keep the mixture from foaming, but if there is some foam, skim off. Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars to 1/4 inch of rim. Use funnel to keep edge of jars clean. Cap.  Process in hot water bath according to instructions.

As usual, this is a small batch recipe, you should end up with 2 - 3 quarts of jam (or 4 - 6 pints).  I recommend using the wide mouth jars.  If you end up with a jar that is not quite full, cap, let cool overnight ( no hot water bath required ) then place in the refrigerator for immediate use.  This jam will not be 'super sweet', like many of you may be used to.  If you would like a sweeter flavor switch the Dry Sherry to Sweet Sherry, omit the Cider Vinegar, and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Raw Sugar.

Fruits vary a great deal in their natural pectin content. In order to make fruit jams and jellies adding pectin is usually necessary. Raspberries and blueberries, for instance, are low in pectin, while apples, citrus fruits, cranberries, and currants are high. 


Fortunately if you don't know how to make your own, prepared pectin is readily available - it is completely natural, safe, and pectin is necessary for getting numbers of fruits to ‘jell’.  For this recipe you will need one package of the "No Sugar Needed Pectin" offered by the Ball Company.



Hot Water Bath or Pressure Canning ?