Today was my second class of the weekend and I had some extra time this morning and decided to finish up the rest of a batch of prepped peaches from my sisters visit and cooked up a preserve. I wanted to slow cook them to see if I didn’t rush the cooking process and let them cook down whether the end product would change. I simmered the peaches for about 30 minutes alone in their juices. I didn’t add the sugar or lemon juice and it really developed a more peachy flavor. I didn’t cut the chunks of peaches up and many of them stayed whole.
As I tasted the flavors develop and the recipe get a darker richer color I wanted to add some additional flavor. I have done the vanilla bean and the cinnamon, but I had a great white dessert wine that I was given now several bottles of and have used in the past, a Cambria Late Harvest Viognier. It is fruity and it definitely added some sweet flavor to the batch. I added my sugar, cutting back a cup and then the lemon juice and pectin. The color, smell and consistency was perfect.
I am finding that the simplest of flavors such as wines are really quite good in shifting a fruit jam or preserve into a great batch that has some depth. Just as in cooking only use wines that you would drink and enjoy in a glass by themselves. I hope you find your perfect combination. Here is the recipe. You can substitute a sweet white wine like a Reisling or Sauvignon blanc for the one I used.
Peach Wine Preserve
Ingredients
- 6 cups peaches, peeled, pitted
- 1/2 cup sweet white wine
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 T. lemon juice
- 3 T. Ball flex batch pectin
Instructions
- Cut peaches into chunks and cook on a simmer for 30 minutes in a medium size dutch oven or stainless steel pot. Stir in the wine and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil and then add the pectin and return to a full boil for 1 minute. Skim foam if necessary.
- Using sterilized jars ladle the recipe into 6 half pint jars, remove air bubbles and refill to 1/4" headspace.
- Using a wet paper towel clean rims, add heated lids and add rings. Process in the water bath at a full boil for 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat, wait five minutes and remove jars and set on dish towel on the counter overnight. The next day label your jars and remove rings for storage.
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