We just got back from vacation in Georgia. It’s such a great state with so many people committed to delicious food fresh off the farm. My kind of place, really. And to be honest, they make some mean fried chicken.
While I was there I couldn’t help but do some canning of some fresh Georgia peaches. I basically followed this method for canning the teeny ten pounds I had into four quart jars. In some of the jarred peaches I packed in some fresh basil, which is now – a week later – great on my late morning Greek yogurt.
Although I think I’ll give the raw pack method a shot next time (this version left the peaches very cooked and soft), the beautiful thing about this recipe is the copious amounts of peach nectar that you are left with. I jarred two extra quarts of nectar that I spiced in a couple of ways: one with generous amounts of tarragon and the other with peppercorns, clove and thyme.
I use this nectar in cocktails with bourbon, lime and a splash of bitters. And added a bunch to iced tea while we were down south. It would sweeten morning oatmeal (or grits??) perfectly and work wonders on some sour cream waffles. Honestly, I haven’t yet exhausted the possibilities.
Playlist included Settle Down, by Kimbra. Give that one a listen. It was basically the theme song for the vacation. I might just rename my daughter Nebraska Jones.
Filed under: Alcohol, Bourbon, Canning, Farmers Market, Georgia, Local Foods, Music, Peaches, Seasonal, Summer, Vegetarian
