Have you ever tried to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables at home? This may seem complicated at first, but as soon as you make some good quality preservation, you will find that it is really a fairly simple process. If you follow a carefully thought-out recipe and follow all the instructions, this is a very safe way to preserve food, with the guarantee that you know its composition and quality for sure.
Among these blanks are homemade compotes. Of course, fruits in light syrup can also be bought in stores, but their quality can not be compared with canned food prepared by hand. Home recipes can be sugar free, which allows you to save fruits in the most natural way. For example, peaches collected at the peak of ripeness are too tasty and fragrant to process them with sweet syrup.
What can be done?
What is the best peach compote recipe for the winter? These fruits are products with high acidity, so they can easily be rolled up in jars and sterilized in a water bath. Processing involves only one difficulty - it is necessary to peel peaches. To do this in a simple way, pour boiling water over them for a minute or two. Then pull and dip in ice water. This will soften their skin, and you can clean it with your fingers in one or two jerks. As you process the fruit, put the “naked” peaches in a bowl of water and lemon juice so that they do not become chapped. After that, cut them in half and pull out the bones.
The recipe for peach compote for the winter exists in two versions: hot or cold cooking. In the first case, the fruit is boiled before processing, in the second - no. When cooking hot, you can use plain water as a liquid, while cold - only fruit juice.
How to prepare the dishes?
You need to sterilize the cans before you can use them, whether new or reused. You can do this simply in boiling water, or use the sterilization mode in the dishwasher. If you begin to sterilize the jars at the same time that you are processing the peaches, the dishes will be ready for the right moment.
Peach Processing
Fold the peaches in clean jars with a can or funnel. Do not fill the container to the end, as you need to provide space for enough fluid.
You can use any kind of fruit juice for this winter peach compote recipe. Perhaps the best option would be white grape juice. It does not interrupt the taste of peaches, while apple can give the fruit a light apple flavor.
How to cook?
Boil the juice to sterilize it, and then fill the cans to the end, leaving them empty 2 cm above. Now you need to lower something in a jar to mix peaches. This is necessary because the free space in the halves of the fruit, in which the seeds were previously located, can accumulate air, and the fruit will not be completely filled.
Although the jars may look full at first, you may need to add a little extra liquid to the peaches when you let the air out. The best tool for this is a small plastic spatula or ceramic knife (do not use metal, as you can scratch the glass). After you fill the cans, wipe the top of them with a clean towel and place canning lids on them. Secure with a metal ring and then place in a large pot of boiling water (with a stand at the bottom) for about 15 minutes.
When this time is over, carefully remove the cans with compote and place them on a towel on the kitchen table. Leave some space between them so that air can circulate. Let them cool completely, the raised middle on the lid should be solid. It should not bend when you click on it. If the covers are securely sealed, your peach compote can be stored for up to a year.
Other options
The list of recipes for stewed compote for the winter from peaches is not limited to the above method. You can make tasty compote in another way. For this simple recipe you will need:
- 1 kg of peaches;
- 1/2 cup sugar;
- 125 ml of water;
- water with lemon juice.
What does a simple peach compote recipe look like for the winter?
Wash cans in hot soapy water. Place them on a rack in a deep pot of boiling water. Turn off the heat and let the banks stand in boiling water for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat, but do not take them out.
Wash the peaches, peel the skins from them, cut each fruit in half and remove the seeds. Brush off the red fibers around the pitted pits as they may obscure the compote during storage. Place the peaches in a deep bowl of water mixed with lemon juice.
Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, wait for the sugar to dissolve. Keep the syrup hot. Remove the peaches from the acidified water and pack the cut side down in hot jars, leaving free space on top. Add hot syrup, leaving a free edge within 1.5 cm. Remove air bubbles with a non-metallic spatula and add additional liquid if necessary. According to this recipe for peach compote for the winter, an approximate amount of water is assumed, depending on the filling of the cans.
Wipe the neck of the jars with a clean towel. Place the lids on the cans. Turn on the stove, bring to a boil and cook for 25-30 minutes. Remove cans from hot water and place, without touching them, on a kitchen towel. Refrigerate for hours or nights. Check preservation for leaks.
Some helpful tips
The cans should be wiped before opening so that dust particles do not enter the workpiece. This recipe for compote of halves of peaches for the winter suggests that preservation can be kept closed for up to two years. After opening the cans, the product should be kept in the refrigerator for no more than a week, while peaches themselves can be removed from the compote, put into a container and frozen for up to six months.
What kind of fruit to take?
Preserved peaches gather at the peak of ripeness when the vitamin content is at the highest level. If you cook the compote within 24 hours after picking the fruit, all the valuable nutrients, as well as the rich taste and aroma will be preserved.
It is advisable to perform a compote for winter from large peaches. Concentrated compote can be diluted with boiled water to get a pleasant vitamin drink, and it can also be used to make jelly and cocktails. Fruits can be eaten in pure form as well as prepared from them a lot of delicious dishes.
Ideas for Canned Fruits
Most recipes for peach compote for the winter suggest that the fruits will have a sweet, rich taste. If a concentrated compote can be easily diluted before consumption, not everyone can like too sweet fruits. What to do with canned peaches from compote? You can make a lot of tasty and healthy goodies out of them.
For example, start your day with an energetic smoothie. Mix a few canned peaches, 2 cups of natural yogurt or kefir and 8 ice cubes in a blender.
You can also put dry cereal, yogurt and canned peaches in a large glass in alternating layers. This option is ideal for brunch or for eating on the go.
Canned peaches can be replaced with fresh desserts and pastries in various recipes. To do this, the fruit must be removed from the compote, and the amount of prescription sugar must be reduced by half.
Compote peaches are also great for serving with pancakes, soft waffles or white bread toast. They go well with cottage cheese or yogurt for a healthy breakfast or afternoon snack.
In addition, canned peaches are a great addition to a fruit salad. Cut them into pieces along with strawberries, banana, apples, pineapple and kiwi. Mix in a large bowl and serve with cream or yogurt.
You can make a delicious sorbet out of them. Put the canned fruit in a container and place in the freezer until it freezes completely. Then quickly pour hot water over the vessels to easily remove the frozen product. Dice, put in a bowl of a food processor and beat thoroughly. Serve immediately or freeze for later use. Optionally, garnish with a sprig of mint.