To Preserve Peaches
A historical recipe from La cuisine creole, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885).
A historical recipe
La cuisine creole: a collection of culinary recipes from leading chefs and noted Creole housewives, who have made New Orleans famous for its cuisine, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885). Project Gutenberg eBook #75027.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: home canning or sealing in jars, preserving or pickling. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.
Also printed in: La cuisine creole (1885).
United States
Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
- Home canning. Old canning methods can let botulism through. Use current tested canning guidance.
- Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.
Ingredients 2 ingredients
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Method
Chef Wood
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- Select white clings if you desire to preserve them whole.
- Yellow peaches make the most transparent preserve, but cannot always be procured.
- If white clings are convenient, peel and weigh them, and to each pound of fruit put one pound of sugar and half a pint of water.
- Put the syrup to boil, clarify it with an egg, and as it boils remove the scum.
- Keep the peaches in cold water all the time the syrup is boiling, as water keeps the fruit in good color, while leaving it exposed darkens it.
- When the syrup has boiled clear, put in the peaches;
- let them boil gently for half an hour, then take them out on a dish for two hours;
- put them back in the syrup and boil again until they are clear;
- they are then done, and you can put them in jars and pour the syrup over them, and cork and seal up for future use.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Saucepan
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Vegetable peeler