Showing posts with label peach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peach. Show all posts

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Canning Peach Salsa



Peaches are here! So many uses, so little time! One of my favorite ways to use peaches when they are in abundance is in Peach Salsa! 

I made some last year, but the recipe didn't include tomatoes. We had tomatoes to use this year, so with my neighbor (and partner in canning/crime), we came up with a delicious new recipe! It is just the right combination of spicy, savory, and sweet. Chunky and rich in flavor--you will love it!


First peel and chop peaches. Ours were so ripe, I just peeled them with my fingers right out of the crate.  If your peaches aren't so easy, here is a great method from Our Best Bites.
Then, chop tomatoes. I recommend Romas or some other more-meaty, less-juicy variety.
It already looks so pretty, huh?

I used my hand-crank food processor to chop all the peppers, onions, and garlic. I still chopped the cilantro by hand. Add all these ingredients, along with lime zest and juice to the tomato and peach mix.  Then, stir in 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Put your pot on the stove over medium-high heat.  While you are waiting on it to boil, mix 4 tablespoons of fruit pectin and 1/2 cup sugar. Once it boils 3 minutes, mix this into the pot, stirring well. Let it boil 3 more minutes. 

Ladle the hot salsa into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head-space. Wipe rims, and set sterilized lids on each jar. Screw on rings to finger-tight. Process in a waterbath canner: 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts.  

Let them cool on the counter, then store in a cool, dry place.
I love eating salsa I have canned throughout the cold winter months! And peach salsa is such a rare-find.  You will love serving it to family and guests through the holidays!

Peach Salsa (Canned or Fresh*)
Makes 10 pints

Ingredients:
14 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
6 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 cups sweet onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped/minced
1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1.5 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 cup sugar-divided
4 tablespoons powdered fruit pectin

Directions: 
1. In a large stock pot, mix tomatoes, peaches, bell and jalapeno peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, lime juice and zest.  Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar. (*If you are making fresh salsa, add full cup of sugar and refrigerate until ready to use.)
2. Place pot on stove over medium-high heat.  Stir together remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and fruit pectin.
3. Bring salsa to a full boil.  Boil 3 minutes, then stir in sugar and pectin mixture. Return to a boil for 3 more minutes. 
4. Ladle hot salsa into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head-space. Wipe rims, apply sterilized lids and rings. Process in a water bath canner--10 minutes for pints; 15 minutes for quarts.  Remove and let cool.  Store for 1+ year. 



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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Peach Fruit Leather By-The-Foot



Millions of peaches...peaches for free...

Okay, I didn't get them for free--just on a good sale.  But I was so excited to make something with them.  And this fruit leather has been a hit around here! 

My kids LOVE Fruit By the Foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, fruit snacks--so much so that I rarely buy them. I joke that they are like crack in my house. If my kids know any of these items are in the house, that is ALL they want to have for snacks until they are gone! And they are mostly sugar. Not really a health food.

Well, these fruit snacks ARE healthy.  No refined sugar. Packed with real fruit. And yummy! They actually taste like peaches! Mmm, mmm. 

Here's how to make 'em: 

You'll need: About 10 medium peaches and 1/3 cup of honey; cooking spray, plastic wrap, and cookie sheets with sides.

1. Follow the directions to peel peaches found here on Our Best Bites. 
This process is an AWESOME time saver. 

2. Remove the stones from the peaches, and put the peeled halves in a blender with 1/3 cup of honey.

3. My 10 peaches made about 6.5 cups of puree. I kind of wanted to pour some on ice and just drink it. It looks tempting, huh?


4.  Cover a couple of walled cookie sheets, with plastic wrap. Make sure it is firmly over each edge. Spray it lightly with cooking spray, then pour the puree on to the pan, spreading it until it is 1/4 inch thick everywhere.

5. Place in an oven set to 175-200°.  Bake for 6-8 hours.  You can do this overnight, but I suggest the lower temp, longer cooking if you are leaving it unchecked.  Otherwise, check it at about 5 hours. The liquid content of peaches varies, so yours may take less or more time, depending on how juicy your peaches were. 

6. Remove from the oven when it is the texture of a fruit roll-up--sticky but not wet. This is what it will look like when you remove it from the oven.

7. Once it has cooled, roll it up with the plastic still on. Cut the roll into 1-2 inch pieces. I did this using a pair of kitchen scissors. A sharp knife would work as well. 

These are easy grab-and-go snacks. I store all of them in zip-lock bags in the pantry. Now my kids can snack on REAL FRUIT all they want to!


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