Spiced Peaches

My family has always called them Pickled Peaches, but if you call anything "pickled", people automatically think of sweet or dill pickles and decide they won't even try them. That's okay too, because they'll leave more for me to eat!

My momma, Betty, made these as her mother, Edith, made them as her mother, Addie, made them as her mother made them.......So you can see this recipe has been handed down through the years. I have great memories of eating perfectly spicy peaches, which were rationed out because we loved them so much and there were only a few precious jars. My kids must learn to make these and pass on the love!

I've read recipes where people advise you to bring the peaches to a boil and let them sit to soak and plump up overnight. That might be a good idea since mine kinda shrank after I canned them. I don't recommend cooking them for very long, because if you start with ripe peaches they'll be soft after canning. How do you know if a peach is ripe? Press your thumb gently on the top side, if there's plenty of swish it's ripe. So here's the basic recipe:

Pickled Peaches

(This made 5 quarts for me)

• 4 ½ cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1 ½ cup vinegar
• whole cloves
• stick cinnamon
• whole allspice
• ripe peaches, peeled and stems removed. 4-5 per jar
• Fruit Fresh or lemon juice
• wide mouth canning jars and lids

As you peel the peaches place them in a little water that has some Fruit Fresh stirred into it and roll the peaches in it. Stick cloves into your peeled peaches. About 5-7 cloves for each peach.

Heat sugar, water and spices until they reach boiling. Add peaches to the syrup and bring to a boil. Let them sit overnight if you want. I would put them in the fridge after cooling.

When you're ready to can them place the peaches and spices in the clean jars, fill to within ½ inch of the top with the syurp, wipe jar rims and place the lids and rings on. Process in a canner or water bath. Water bath around 35 minutes. In your canner I'd process at the pressure and time your canner recommends for peaches, or fruit. I do remember... sometimes momma just got everything boiling and put hot lids on and turned them upside down for a bit to seal. Not saying that's safe or anything, just remembering.

Wait a few weeks to open and enjoy them.