Spiced Peach Preserves

I have a friend who received some Spiced Peach Preserves from me last year, and she inquired recently whether I'd be making more this year.  I answered that I was not sure, as it is hard to can with store-bought fruit after you've received organic, homegrown, best-you-ever-tasted peaches.  Obviously I would love some more of those peaches, but unfortunately my in-laws' peach tree was hit hard with a late frost this past spring, as were many fruit trees in Colorado.  My local farmer's market had some lovely peaches on a day when I didn't have time to can, and assured me that they'd have more the next week.  They didn't!  So previously mentioned friend asked her brother to pick up a box on his way through Palisades last week, and she gave them to us in exchange for some finished jars, and a little lesson in canning.  Isn't that nice?

I decided to blog the recipe so that you can use it, and I can find it here again! 


Spiced Peach Preserves

Recipe adapted from Sweet Preservations, original recipe here. 

• 10 cups peaches
• 5 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

1. Sterilize canning jars. Combine peaches, sugar, spices and lemon juice & zest and slowly bring to boiling, stirring occasionally.
2. Cook rapidly until thick, about 15 to 25 minutes; stir frequently to prevent sticking.
3. Pour hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process 10 minutes (high altitude) in a boiling water bath.
4. Allow jars to sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours before moving them.

Yields roughly 16 - 4 oz jars, or 8 half-pint (8 oz) jars