I am so excited about the fun I had bottling the fresh Local Utah Peaches that we got along with our Seasonal Harvest Bundle! Muir Fresh Harvest has definitely kept me on my toes and in my kitchen! I have been on a serious bottling kick and fresh fruit is the reason why!!
Fresh summer peaches are seriously one of my favorite treats. But you really can't beat having that sweet summer flavor in the dead of winter, and that is why I bottles some for my pantry!
Summer Peaches Bottled:
Tools needed:
Water bath canner
Clean quart sized bottles
New lid inserts
Lids
A little determination, and a smile! :)
Ingredients:
Peaches, Peaches and more Peaches!
Water
Sugar
(optional: Fruit Fresh Powder or Lemon Juice as a substitute)
Directions:
Prepare your jars so that they are dry and clean.
Bring a large pot with 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil
Set aside another large bowl filled with ice water.
Wash your peaches and add about 6 of them to the boiling water. Let them boil for about 30-40 seconds for very ripe peaches, and a few minutes if needed for less ripe peaches. ( This step loosens the skin from the peaches so that you can remove it easily! )
Immediately spoon out peaches when they have boiled for designated time frame, and put them in your ice bath. Let them cool for a few minutes.
Lay out a dry cloth to place peaches once they have cooled.
Repeat this process until you have loosened the skin of all the peaches.
Prepare your syrup for the peaches to sit in.
Syrup:
2 quarts of water
2 1/2 cups of water
Mix this syrup together so that it is all ready to pour into jars. Set aside.
Gather all the flat lid inserts and place them on the stove in a small saute pan with water in it. Simmer slightly on low and leave them there so that they are ready for you.
In another separate bowl add 4 cups of cool water and 2 T. Fruit Fresh. Mix well. ( Fruit fresh keeps your fruit from browning. If you don't have any, or don't like it for that matter, you can use a teaspoon of lemon juice in each jar as a substitute!)
Remove the skin off of the peaches and halve peaches. Place halved fruit into the fruit fresh mixture and let them set for a minute of so, then fill jars with peaches. If you are not using fruit fresh, begin filling your jars with the halved peaches immediately.
**It looks best if you have the outside of the peach facing out, rather than the red center. (In my opinion.)
Fill the jars with peaches and pour the prepared syrup into the jar leaving 1/2 inch head space.
Place one of your heated lid inserts on the jar and seal with lid ring. ** Make sure there is no sugar water on the top of your jar before putting the lid on.
Once you have your peaches in jars with the syrup mixture and the lids secured you can put a batch of jars in your water bath canner. Make sure the water covers the jar lids by a few inches.
Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, process your jars for 25 minutes! ( That is the correct time for my elevation. You may need to check your process time online for different areas.)
Once your jars are processed, carefully remove them from the water bath canner, and set them upside down on your counter on a clean towel. Let them sit there untouched for 24 hours, or until completely cooled! Voila, you are done!!! Besides the huge crazy mess you will have to clean up! Hey, I never said this was a tidy project.... But it is so worth it! They are so pretty when they are done.
These jars are good for three years on the shelf stored in a cool dry place away from direct light. :o)
Happy bottling!
~Laura
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