Chai Spiced Peaches
Ever get so wrapped up in excited about the prospect of fresh produce you end up taking home something in units with a name as quaint as “bushels”? Sometimes summer just does that to you. But unless you’re in the business of making and consuming 10 pounds of fruit salad in one afternoon (which, if you were, more power to you), chances are you’re going to need to make use of those peaches in a way so they’re not dependent on maintaining their freshness. Sweet, syrup-y, spiced peaches are the perfect answer for your harvest hauls.
Though canning can be a daunting process for many people, with the right tools and information we promise it’s a method of ensuring delicious local produce for you and your family all year-round! We love the Penn State’s guide for canning basics, but there are also a ton of great books and videos out there that are great resources for the novice canner.
As far as prep work for our peaches, if you can boil a pot of water, you’ll be in good shape! We’re peeling our peaches with a snazzy little trick where our peaches are scored and dropped in some boiling water so that their peels were a little easier to slip off. To season our Peaches we went with a chai masala inspired blend, Chai Baking Spice, but you could also do Apple Pie Spice or Pumpkin Pie Spice if you were looking for something a little less floral. No matter how you flavor your peaches, just double check that the spices and flavorings you’re using don’t drastically change the pH- check the Canning Website if you need more information!
- 7 Lbs. Peaches
- 2 1/4 Cups apple juice
- 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Chai baking Spice
- Cut a small “x” in the bottom of the peaches. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In batches, submerge peaches for 60 seconds. Remove peaches boiling water and place in ice bath. When peaches are cooled, use a paring knife to remove skin. Cut peaches in half, and remove pits. You may also quarter peaches for pint jars.
- In a saucepan, combine juice, brown sugar, and Chai Baking Spice and heat until sugar is dissolved.
- In sterilized jars, pack peaches cut side down. Leave ½ inch headspace. Ladle hot syrup over peaches, again leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe jars, adjust lids, and screw bands.
- Process jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes. Start timing when water returns to a boil.
- When finished processing, remove from water and cool on racks.
