Brandied Peaches..

[mitchshrader]

OK, oklahoma has some fairly good native peaches, called porter peaches. we had a heck of an ice storm, so production is going to be scant, but the flavor, correspondingly.. will likely be GREAT.. when the trees are stressed most they make fewer, and tastier, peaches.

I want brandied peaches. My grandmother made them with brown sugar, regular porter or red 'indian' peaches, cloves and cinnamon sticks, and granpa's corn likker which was close as they got to brandy. 'Brandied' was what they were CALLED, and the corn likker part wasn't discussed much. Same thing with the fruitcake, and i never heard the first complaint about either one of them. :)

Well, I have E&J brandy, 80 proof, sorta bland by grannys standards but you work with what you got. What i *want* is, some way to get the most taste in the least space, and as much booze as possible on them without ruining them.

I'm thinking about juicing some of the peaches, and adding the nectar to the boiling (turbinado) sugar mix, or maybe slightly drying some of the peaches, several hours in a dehydrator, so they'll soak up more of the syrup.

Who has the best recipe? All tips welcomed, this is an experimental procedure.. ;)

[lethal tupperwa]

brandied Peaches
Recipe Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine
Show: Cooking Live
Episode: Peaches
1 pound (about 3 medium) firm-ripe peaches
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups brandy

Peel peaches: Cut a small x in the blossom end of each peach. Place peaches in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove from boiling water and quickly submerge in ice cold water for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle. The skin should slip off. Cut peaches in half and remove pit. Dice peaches and put in a sterilized 1-quart Mason-type jar.

In a saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil over low heat, washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer the syrup for 3 minutes and remove it from the heat. Add 1/2 cup brandy, 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring, and let it cool. Stir in the remaining 1 cup brandy.

Pour the syrup over the peaches. Add more brandy if necessary to cover completely. Seal the jar with the lid and store in a cool place for at least 1 month.

[mitchshrader]

hmph. that's about right. i'm gonna throw some cloves in though. gotta do that much or granny'd have a fit. course, it wouldn't amount to much on account of she's dead, but it'd still be a ruckus.

might thow in some cinnamum or a allspice thang, too. not much.

but that's about the right answer you got there. i checked around and the brandy ain't so important, cheap stuff works good. now all i got to do is wait for them very first handful of porter peaches and snag em immediately. i got all the other stuff.