Confessions of a Reluctant Canner-Pretty in Peach
by Katie Bauer
As I rambunctiously bounded home (as rambunctiously as one can with a ½ case of peaches and a whole lot of other booty foraged from the farmers' market) on Saturday my mind fluttered with fantasies of peach cobbler, peach pie, peach salsa, peach smoothies and peach facials. Why stop there? I had split a case and now the world was my oyster, I but had to ask. I would happily be barefoot and pregnantless in the kitchen-what more could anyone ask for from themselves?
So after scavenging the cupboards and fridge and coming across a yellowing lime and some bending ginger, the choice was clear-either an Asian inspired peach salsa or a ginger-lime peach pie. "Definitely pie" a ravenous voice cried out from deep within the recesses of my sweet starved self, even if a little embarrassed with the extremely non local flavor enhancers. Gluten free, sugar free, whole grain, vegan, organic, ginger-lime Morton's peach pie-of course. Let the gluttony begin! I sautéed some peaches in oil, shredded in some ginger and added lime and sweetener, cooking it down. The peaches perspiring more and more liquid goodness, reminding me of myself, so in I dumped arrowroot powder to thicken it, but now the texture was mushifying. What to do? I tasted it and I fell into an oblivion of peachy heaven, overwhelming my taste buds with satiny delight. I imagined it proudly perching atop pancakes and smothering vegan ice cream. And obviously I envisioned swimming in it.
And then it happened. In a flashback I recalled the drizzly days of winter wallowing. Being cold, hungry in hibernation-a diet of root vegetables-stabilizing but missing the glamour of summer. Last winter I promised myself I would preserve the bounty of summer for my gluttonous enjoyment in winter. My sad, gluten free, vegan, whole grain pancakes of winter pleaded for peach compote with a whisper of lime and the lingering pizzazz of ginger. But how could I just hand that over to my overwintering self? My summer self growing guilty in grumbling as my winter self pleaded with the hollow eyes of a low nutrient winter diet missing the canned and pickled staples of yesteryear. So, to make the long multiple personality conversation short, the sickly, whiney, winter, self-absorbed self triumphed at last.
I continued to cook the peach pie filling turned compote on the stove top as it softened with flavors becoming more and more pronounced and aromas echoing throughout the house permeating my entire being (and my housemates). Into the jars the compote slinked away-taking with it my visions of summer voraciousness. My mouth watering as I poured every last drop into those hungry jars. The aromas dwindling leaving me full of lingering memories of flavorful ginger-lime peachy compote.
Will the compote make it to winter? Will the appetite of my winter self be satiated? Would I have my housemates hide the jars to prevent my greedy summer self lathered in the bounty of summer from absconding with my winter treasure? Would they contain themselves? Could you contain yourself? So, I turned to another peach canning masterpiece in hopes that switching to a new project would take my edacious mind off the old. Peach butter bliss (my best guess at measurements follow for both recipes).
But why stop there? Next week I will put my summer self in a pickle by forcing myself to not consume all of the delicious cucumbers and canning them for my eager winter self. Oh the pickle of pickling!
Ginger Lime Peach Pie Filling Turned Compote Recipe:
1 TB of high heat vegetable oil (I like sunflower oil)
7 Cups (or whatever you have) of sliced pitted peaches (what I used was overly ripe so they emitted a lot of liquid and softened extremely fast)
½ Cup of sweetener (e.g. maple syrup, agave, honey, fruit juice, etc.) or more to taste
2 inches of fresh ginger root peeled and grated
1 TB of dried ginger
½ TB of cinnamon
1 tsp of sea salt
1 TB (or more depending on juiciness of peaches) of arrowroot powder
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1. Sauté peaches in oil for a couple minutes. Add dried ginger, cinnamon, and lime zest, sauté for another minute. Add fresh ginger, lime juice, and sea salt and cook until juicy with lid on stirring occasionally (20 minutes or so depending on the ripeness of the peaches).
2. Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars, and lids.
3. Ladle hot compote into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with plastic or rubber spatula and adjust headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
4. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 35 minutes (for pint jars) or 40 minutes (for quart jars). Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.
With what was left, not quite filling another jar, I used to make a pie-mixing it with barely cooked apples from a tree in our yard. This deliciously satiated my summer gluttony needs!
Peach Butter Bliss Recipe:
8 cups or so of peeled and sliced peaches
1-1.5 cups of sweetener (agave, honey, maple syrup, fruit juice, etc.)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
¼ tsp of almond extract (optional)
½ tsp of nutmeg
½ cup of dry or sweet sherry, liqueur, or sweet wine (optional)
¼ tsp of sea salt
1. Drop peaches into boiling water for 30-60 seconds until the skin cracks and then drop into cold water. Skins should peel off easily.
2. Place peaches, ½ cup of sweetener, lemon zest and juice, nutmeg, and sea salt in a pot. Stir to combine. You can cover and leave the flavors to meld for several hours or precede immediately. If letting it sit, add almond extract.
3. Place the pan over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or so.
Pour the contents in batches into a food processor and puree. Pour the puree into a shallow roasting pan or cake pan and place in a preheated 225 degree oven. Stir every 20-30 minutes or more for 2 to 3 hours. As the puree thickens, it will stick to the edges of the pan so make sure to regularly stir thoroughly. It is done when it has thickened, sticks to a spoon, and has turned a dark amber.
4. If using, add alcohol and hazelnut extract (if didn't allow to settle in it) and bake briefly, until back to the proper consistency (5 minutes or so).
5. Remove from the oven and ladle hot peach butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
6. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 30 minutes (for ½ pint jars) or 35 minutes (for pint jars). Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.
What was left, not quite filling a jar, quickly disappeared. The creamy deliciousness of peach butter is too enticing for it to patiently sit while you devise a scheme for its best use. Perhaps I should have kept the whole case of peaches to myself (my summer and winter selves plot greedily).
For complete hot water bath canning directions go to CSU Extension's website at: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09347.html For additional questions, ask Stephanie.. a CSU master food preserver. She can be found tabling at the north end of every Wednesday Market (except this Wednesday) and is at the Market to answer your questions on how to best preserve the bounty and to make all of our lives more nutritious, more healthy, more local, and less dull this winter.
Also starting tonight is Oscar Carlson of Wide Horizons Farm located in Longmont. Oscar started attending the Longmont Farmers' Market on Saturdays last year and will grace us with his presence tonight showcasing his unbelievably incredibly delicious apples! Convince him to attend on Wednesdays permanently! He will be located at the north end of 13th.
