Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Peach Pie and Master Food Preservers
Summer is here and the fruit is ripening up quickly! In our neighborhood, apricots, strawberries, cherries, and blueberries are being harvested. The apple orchard isn't far behind, with the rosy orbs growing daily in size. And there's nothing like a summer peach! Today's newspaper featured an article about Master Food Preservers who are community volunteers that work for the Extension office. I highly value their expertise and dedication to food safety and preservation. They are trained by our extension service home economists and then serve the residence in our county with food handling and preservation questions. In addition to information about food safety and the extension program, a recipe for canned peach pie filling was given. My friend, Rose, has a similar recipe and says it is a wonderful way to preserve peaches. There's not many things better than a peach pie, especially during the dreary days of winter. Here's the recipe they published today:
Peach Pie Filling
6 quarts fresh, ripe, yet firm, peaches
7 cups granulated sugar
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons Clear Jel
5 1/4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups bottled lemon juice
Peel peaches. To loosen skins, submerge peaches in boiling water for approximately 30 - 60 seconds, and then place in cold water for 20 seconds. Slip off skins and cut into slices 1/2-inch thick. Place slices in water containing 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid crystals or six 500-milligram vitamin C tablets in 1 gallon of water to prevent browning.
Place 6 cups of sliced peaches at a time in 1 gallon of boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine water, sugar, Clear Jel, and, if desired, cinnamon and/or almond extract in a large kettle. Stir and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil sauce 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Fold in drained peach slices and continue to heat mixture for 3 minutes. Fill jars, into pints or quarts, without delay, leaving 1 inch head-space. Adjust lids and immediately process for 30 minutes in a water-bath canner. Makes 7 quarts.
This recipe is from the National Center for Food Preservation. I wonder if there is a similar recipe for apple pie filling? How handy to have it prepared and jarred, just waiting for a future day. Delicious as pie filling, the peach or apple fillings would also work well as a fruit sauce or a filling for campfire sandwiches. Yum!
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Here's a recipe I've had since the 70s and many friends find it very successful. This is how it came out of the cookbook...
ReplyDeleteCanned Apple Pie Filling
Combine: In large kettle
4 Cups sugar
1 Cup cornstarch
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tsp. salt
Add: 10 Cups water
Cook until thickened, add: 3 T. lemon juice
Fill quart canning jars 1/3 full of sauce. Peel and slice apples into hars, smooshing down into the sauce until the jar is full.
Put on hot lids, process in boiling water bath for 20 min. Fills 7 quart jars.
When you want to make a pie, pour filling into bottom crust, dot with butter and cover with the top crust. Bake at 400 Degrees for 40-50 min.
The aboe amount of salt is teaspoon. With the capital "T", it looks like it would not be...
ReplyDeleteThe amount of salt is teaspoon. With the capital "T", it looks like it would not be...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brenda, for the recipe! It looks great and I'm eager to try it. It was nice receiving a comment from you as well. Please, join in again. :)
ReplyDeleteI apologise for the cyber hick-up...
ReplyDeleteI posted this recipe on a Christian women's forum that I belong to way back in 1999 or 2000. It is now a tried and true recipe and it also has worked with peaches.
I first saw the recipe on a women's show when I was a teenager (and now I am 52!). Then I saw it in print in a cookbook written by the same lady I had seen on television in the 60s.
I think you'll like it.