Recipe: Peach Preserves for Cold Mornings

Peach Preserves for Cold Mornings
uk.food+drink.misc/Mike Avery/2001

I like hot things, hot in the spicy sense. A number of companies have offered jalapeno preserves, but they all have vinegar in them, and I don't want vinegar on my toast in the morning. Then I found this recipe for peach and habanero pepper preserves. As the comment in the recipe says, it's nice for cold mornings. Or if your sinuses are giving your problems. Feel free to adjust the amount of pepper to suit your tastes. Leaving the seeds in will make the jam hotter, removing them will make it cooler. Scotch Bonnet peppers may be substituted for the habaneros.

**** Warning.... in "Dirty Harry", Harry warned criminals that his .44 magnum was the "most powerful handgun in the world". Similarly, the habanero is the hottest pepper in the world. Treat it with respect and caution. Wear gloves when you handle them. Do not touch your eyes, or any sensitive part of your body, with the gloves. The peppers can cause your skin to blister. ****

3 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and quartered
l/2 medium-size orange, quartered and seeded
2 Red Savina habaneros, (seeds and all)
4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 Cup honey (the lightest, mildest you can find)

Combine peaches, sugar, and honey in a Dutch oven; stir well. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Place knife blade attachment in food processor bowl; add orange quarters and habanero chiles. Process until finely chopped, stopping once to scrape down sides.

Place orange, habanero chiles, and an equal amount of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until orange rind is tender.

Bring peach mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often. Add orange mixture. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until candy thermometer registers 221, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in almond extract. Skim off foam with a metal spoon.

Quickly pour hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process jars in boiling-water bath 10 minutes. Yield: 6 half-pints.

Source: Ed and Sharon Johnson
Ed and Sharon's Notes: This is really good on vanilla ice cream. The heat level gets lost with good quality ice cream but stays with you have it with low-fat or frozen yogurt. I also dried red habaneros, not Red Savina (tm) so that probably had effect on heat level.