~ Skirt in the Kitchen ~
This is what I remember my parents canning with the exception of fresh ginger and chocolate mint– my additions, but it’s still theirs– and it will always be my father’s… I like doing this in the summer for winter just to have the chocolate mint inside the quart jars of canned preserves. I like to open a jar around the holidays. I sometimes cook a ham with it into a glaze or over roasted turkey. I like this for a brunch after having Hasenpheffer (November 30, 2012 Skirt in the Kitchen post). And there are times when it’s dessert in the evening. The liquid will settle into a light-creamy color. This is best when preserving already halved peaches in heavy syrup– just adding some wonderful spices after they’re heated to be sealed into jars for in the months ahead. Fresh peaches have been selected through the years, but this is when store-bought peaches are better for this; the texture, nice– and sweeter for this particular recipe. Sliced peaches will fall apart, so choose the halves. This recipe batch is for the person who barely cans, who prefers few jars preserved. But the recipe can easily be adjusted to the number of quarts desired. The basic number of quarts made are two– adjust to how many you want to make, bulking up your recipe.
In a heavy stainless steel pot or a Dutch oven, dump all 3 29-ounce cans.
They used regular white vinegar; I choose rice vinegar– add 3 tablespoons.
Heat with 9 cinnamon sticks and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Just a sprinkle, add freshly grated nutmeg.
Pick and wash fresh chocolate mint.
Measure 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
Peel and thinly slice fresh ginger–
about this much.
Add 1 rounded teaspoon whole cloves,
3 anise stars, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1 tablespoon whole allspice,
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns,
and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar.
Bring to a boil, turn heat down to the lowest setting, cover and let set while the oven is warming at 250 degrees Fahrenheit to sterilize the jars, flats, jar rings, stainless tongs and ladle as well as the funnel– the oven method of canning. It is best to have the oven preheated 30 minutes in advance. On an oven-proof tray or bar pan, set jars upside-down, flats upward and not touching anything; rings, funnel, tongs and ladle… place in the oven for 15 minutes. Have very good hot pads.
Ladle into jars, omit the cooked chocolate mint– put fresh chocolate mint in the jars, instead. Also replace the cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, whole cloves, and anise stars with new, giving the canned peaches the fullest and freshest flavor. But put the cooked ginger and red pepper flakes in, and make sure that the jar rims are cleaned with a damp kitchen towel free of lint before sealing tightly. When sealed, place the jars upside-down in the oven again, filled, for 15 minutes. Rest the jars on a padded surface of towels, then cover with more towels to completely seal the lids– let them rest for several hours, at least.
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