Peach Preserves

Of all things good in this world, sweet Georgia peaches have to be near the top of the list.  And when you take that juicy little piece of near-perfection and add sugar, then smear it on top of a homemade biscuit - well, there really aren't words, are there?  Before summer slips away you WILL want to indulge in this simple recipe for preserves.  Trust me - it might be the only way to make it through the "bitterly cold" winter this year's Farmer's Almanac is predicting.

For 8 cups of jam you will need :

4 cups mashed/pureed peaches
5 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp butter
1 package pectin

First, peal, pit, and mash (with a potato masher, or puree in a food processer, depending on "chunkiness-level" you prefer) your peaches until you have 4 cups of squished (yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the technical term for it) fruit. Also, measure out 5 1/2 cups of white sugar, and set aside.

Pour the fruit into a large pan (I use my soup pot) along with one package of pectin (I use Sure Jell) and 1/8 tsp butter. The butter keeps foaming at a minimum - believe me, you will miss it if you leave it out (and yes, margarine, or whatever will do the trick as well!). Heat on medium high until it comes to a rolling boil.  Then quickly pour in 5 1/2 cups sugar (you really can't skimp on this because chemistry is involved - it is what it is). Bring heat up to high, and stir constantly until the fruit returns to a boil.  Allow it boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. 

DO NOT ALLOW THE FINISHED MIXTURE TO COOL!  Immediately ladle the preserves into prepared (freshly dishwasher-sanitized) jars. Place the tops onto the jars, and using a pot holder, flip the jars upside-down.  Let them sit this way for at least 15 minutes.  It will heat the lid and help it to seal, which is the entire point, right?  When you flip them back over, be careful not to bother the center of the lid, where the "popper" is located.  You will spend the next several minutes listening to your jars "pop" (this happens to be my mother's favorite part of the whole process - she's silly).  When they "pop" they are sealed, and the peaches are officially "preserved."  You can store them anywhere in your house, but I will tell you, cooler is better.  The peaches will keep their bright color if they are kept in a cool basement or refrigerator.  Otherwise they will turn to the same muted, much less appealing color of grocery store jams and jellies.  If any of your jars didn't seal, don't worry about it - just toss them in the fridge - those are just the jars that refuse to wait until the dead of winter to be eaten - enjoy them now!

When spring comes back around, definitely do this with fresh strawberries, as well! 

For 8 cups of jam you will need:

5 cups mashed/pureed strawberries
7 cups sugar
1 package pectin
1/8 tsp butter

The same directions apply - you can also check out the inside of the Sure Jell box, or their website for more "cooked jam" recipes.