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.

OLD FASHIONED TOMATO CONSERVE



Heritage Tomatoes from Paley's Farm Market in Sharon, Connecticut.



Summer is winding down and loads of vegetables are coming out of local gardens. Here in the northeast it is officially tomato time, and there are so many ways to preserve tomatoes! Probably because when they are in season there are so many it is hard to know what to do with them, kind of like zucchini.

This conserve is based on a vintage recipe from an older Ball Blue Book with the cinnamon and cloves thrown in as a nod to Indian jams and chutneys and for the warmth these spices bring to the citrus tone, but they are optional and this conserve is good with or without them. 

Many similar recipes can be found categorized as tomato jam or tomato butter, but they all boil down to a thick, sweet tomato spread. The lemon juice and peel add acidity needed to make the tomatoes safe for preserving in the hot water bath, as well as pectin for help with the jelling process. If you are going to proccess this recipe in a Hot Water Bath you may add one tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint jar before adding your tomatoes.

It is very helpful if you have a candy thermometer, and make sure you have read through the recipe and have everything prepped, sterilized, and ready to go.  Once you have made the syrup, the canning process should progress rather quickly. 

Spread this conserve on warm rolls, serve as a side with a cheese plate, or as a spread for sandwiches.

OLD FASHIONED TOMATO CONSERVE


INGREDIENTS

5 pounds firm just ripe Tomatoes

2 pounds Sugar

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 stick Cinnamon

2 Cloves



DIRECTIONS

Blanch the tomatoes in hot water and remove the skins. Cut into quarters, cover with sugar and allow to stand overnight. 

Drain off syrup; heat to the boiling point.

Once the syrup is boiling tie cinnamon and cloves (optional) into square of muslin, cheese cloth or jelly bag, suspend in mixture, also add lemon slices, continue cooking until syrup will spin a long thread  (230 - 235 degrees on candy thermometer). 

Remove bag of spices. 

Pack tomatoes into sterilized hot canning jars and carefully add hot syrup to 1/4 inch from rim.

Seal and process in Hot Water Bath for 15 minutes, or cool and store in refrigerator.

Cool and store processed jars in dark pantry for a year.

I made 5 half pint jars with this recipe.

MABBETTSVILLE FRIED CHICKEN AND CLASSIC CREAMY COLESLAW

I had spent the weekend cleaning and organizing dozens of boxes stacked in the closets and guestrooms of our newly acquired, old Victorian, culling through endless papers and receipts (Paul does not believe in throwing away ANY receipts or notepads, or scraps of paper with notes on them, or old lottery tickets - you get the picture) when lo and behold I uncovered a scrap of paper that had a Fried Chicken Recipe on it. This was not just any fried chicken recipe, this was the recipe scribbled quickly on one of Paul's sundry pieces of scrap paper by Brian, a previous line chef for the now closed Mabbettsville Market in Millbrook, New York. I scooped it up, set it aside to go in my recipe file. 

For me, meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy, a spicy chili and side of corn bread, or a hearty beef stew all constitute delicious, soothing comfort food, but discovering that little scrap of a recipe gave me a mighty hankering for fried chicken. Our freezer was full of chicken legs  and I had a half a head of cabbage in the crisper that I did not want to go to waste so I hummed hallelujahs and made plans to cook what I had just rememberes was another one of my favorite comfort foods, Fried Chicken with Creamy Coleslaw on the side.

Michel Nischan, sustainable food pioneer, chef, author and owner of Dressing Room Restaurant in Westport, Connecticut, helps remove the guilt factor that comes with eating fried foods by counseling,  "Like most fried foods, when done correctly, fried chicken is not bad for you. It should be enjoyed in moderation, but when you feel the urge to fry up some chicken, do it right."

Like barbeque, simply everyone has their own special trick for frying up the tastiest chicken, but I totally agree with Bon Appetit magazine, for a good fried chicken the skillet makes all the difference: "A cast-iron skillet--inexpensive and indestructible--is the prized frying vessel for a reason. It retains heat better than most pans, which helps regulate the oil temperature and ensures even frying. If you don't own one already, this recipe should provide ample motivation."

Since lard is not bad for you either, as long as it too is used in moderation, I use it (in my old Griswold cast iron pan) for frying the chicken. It imparts a wonderfully distinctive flavor and actually leaves the chicken less greasy. Learn how to render your own lard here.

Never fear, if you don't own a cast iron pan you can still make perfectly acceptable fried chicken in another heavy bottomed pan. I myself, momentarily lost my sanity and spent several years immersing chicken in canola oil using one of those made-for-the-home deep fryers: never again. 

This fried chicken, though, I will be having over and over.  Served up with a healthy side dish of a traditional creamy coleslaw or some potato or tossed green salad, it certainly makes for a comforting meal, no matter what time of year it is.

MABBETTSVILLE FRIED CHICKEN

 

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts Buttermilk or Whole Milk

1 Onion, minced

3 to 4 Garlic heads, sliced thinly

3 tablespoons fresh Thyme (1 Tablespoon dried thyme)

1/4 cup Kosher salt

Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper

One (2 to 3 pound) free range Chicken, cut into 8 pieces

OR all Chicken legs, backs, breasts - whatever your preference.

 FLOUR MIX

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Onion powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic powder

1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon dried Coleman's Mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

FOR FRYING

3/4 to 1 Cup Lard (or Canola Oil)

Cast Iron Skillet or heavy bottomed pan with Cover

DIRECTIONS

Warm 1 quart of (butter) milk  in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme. Set aside to come to room temperature. Season with salt and pepper, using enough salt so that the you can taste it.

When the (butter) milk is nearly cool, pour in a dish large enough to hold the chicken pieces. stir in the remaining 1 quart cold (butter) milk. Add your chicken, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of  2 hours and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally. Drain the chicken, pat dry. Throw away the milk marinade.

To make the flour mix, mix together the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and mustard in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken pieces in the flour. Turn to coat. Let the coated chicken pieces sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, heat the lard until liquified and so hot it is nearly smoking. Using tongs, lay the chicken pieces in the hot fat, which should come about halfway up the sides of the chicken.

Cover and let fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn the pieces over. Watch the chicken carefully, turning as needed to brown evenly on both sides and cook through, about 25 to 30 minutes total. (The smaller pieces might be cooked through in 20 minutes.) Adjust the heat if necessary to prevent scorching, but try to keep it as high as you can. Watch out for splatter, you don't want to get burned.

Lift the chicken pieces from the hot fat as they are cooked. Drain on paper towels, set in baking dish in a warm oven until all your pieces are cooked. Serve hot with your prepared side dishes..









Tossing together the Creamy Coleslaw





 

CREAMY COLESLAW

INGREDIENTS

1 head Cabbage, shredded

1 Yellow Onion, shredded

1 large Carrot, shredded

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Celery Seed

5 Tablespoons White Vinegar

dash Cayenne Pepper

dash Garlic Salt

Mayonnaise, Salt and Pepper to taste

 

DIRECTIONS

Mix Honey, Vinegar, Cayenne Pepper,and Garlic Salt over low heat until honey is incorporated. Remove and let cool.

In the meantime, put Cabbage, Carrot, and Onion through food processor to shred.

Once the Vinegar/Honey mix is cooled, coat slaw well (slaw will lose volume as it sits, so this will be enough dressing). Sprinkle with Celery Seed. Refrigerate.

When ready to serve add Mayonnaise to taste, Salt and Pepper to taste.