Pickled Peaches - Historic Foodways

This recipe is a bit out there for me, I am not sure that I will ever make it, but it sounded interesting, and who knows, maybe one day I'll give it a try! This recipe comes to us from Historic Foodways. It is a Pickled Peach recipe by Hannah Glasse that has a modern adaptation done by Kimberly Costa. Here is the recipe and the adaptation:

To Pickle Peaches by Hannah Glasse in
The Art of Cookery Plain and Easy 1747

TAKE your Peaches when they are at full Growth, just before they turn to be ripe; before they are not bruised; then take Spring –water, as much as you think will cover them; make it soft enough to bear an Egg, with Bay and Common Salt, an Equal Quantity of each; then put your Peaches, and lay a thin Board over them, to keep them under the Water. Let them stand for three days and then take them out and wipe them very carefully with fine soft cloth, and lay them in your Glas or jar; then take as much White Wine Vinegar, as will fill your glas or Jar: To every Gallon put one Pint of best well-made Mustard, two or three heads o Garlick , a good deal of ginger Sliced, half and Ounce of Cloves, mace and Nutmegs, mix your Pickle well Together, and pour over your Peaches. Tye them close with a Bladder and Leather, they will be fit to eat in two Months. You may with a fine Penknife cut them a –cros, take out the Tone and fill them with made Mustard and Garlick, and Horse-reddish and Ginger, tye them together.


Pickled Peaches
Modernized and Adapted by Kimberly Costa

4 pounds fresh peaches
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons whole cloves
5 cinnamon sticks
1 3 inch piece of fresh ginger (optional)

additional items:
large pot of boiling water
large bowl of cold water with ice cubes
small piece of cheese cloth or large loose tea ball
Mason jars and caps, pre boiled

Bring large pot of water to boil. When water boils drop 2-3 peaches into the boiling water for 10-20 seconds. Pull out of water and drop into large bowl of cold water and ice cubes. Continue until all peaches are blanched. Peel, de-pit and slice peaches. You can slice in quarters or in halves.

Place cloves, ginger (optional) and cinnamon sticks in cheese cloth, tie closed. You can break the sticks if need be. Combine the sugar, vinegar , spices and water in a large pot, bring to a boil and continue to boil for about 5 minutes. Add peaches and boil for 15-20 minutes until tender but not mushy soft.

Put peaches into the boiled Mason jars. Fill with glass with syrup leaving about half an inch to the top. Wipe off rims, add lids and caps. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes or on your counter turn jars upside down for 10 minutes. When you turn the jars over test seal on lid. It should not ‘pop’ if pushed in the middle. If it is not sealed turn over for another 10 minutes. If the lid still pops when you press it the jar has not properly sealed itself. Proceed with the regular hot water bath canning method.