OK, this isn’t exactly new. And, yes, peach season is long over. But my maternity leave has meant that my next few posts are after-the-fact as far as seasonality goes. But, hey, there’s always next year!

Alas.

I talked about this one last year, in my Teaches of canned peaches post. That’s when I did peaches in honey-lavender syrup and also the brandied peaches recipe from the NY Times dating back to 1951 with new canning instructions by food writer and canning queen Eugenia Bone.

As mentioned in my last post, I noticed last year that the brandied peaches really went the distance, maintaining their shape and flavour longer than their syrupy counterparts. And so, I used the recipe again this year, changing a few things (smaller slices, less syrup). I like smaller peach slices just because, and I use less liquid cuz the last two times I made this, I had about a cup and a half leftover syrup. Also, less syrup means more brandy flavour.

So here’s my version:

3 pounds peaches

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1/2 cup brandy

Boil a big pot of water. Use a sharp knife to to make a shallow ‘x’ cut at the base of each peach then lower them gingerly into the water, leaving them in for one minute (don’t over-cook!). Scoop the peaches out (I use a wire mesh colander with a handle) and plunge into ice water, then slip the skins off. You can do this in small batches.

Peel, pit and slice the fruit into quarters or smaller slices (but not too small). Set aside. Bring water and sugar to boil in large pot, then add the peach segments and simmer for a few minutes (3-5). Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon, packing them into your hot, clean jars.

Boil the syrup for another 10 minutes or so to reduce it a little, then spoon it over your fruit. Dole out the brandy equally among your jars (you should have two 500ml or pint jars), leaving about 1cm or 1/4 inch head space. Process your jars for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.