Sweet pickled peaches

I love peaches whichever each way and if you want to savor their sweetness later on in the summer, pickling is a great way to go. The below recipe is a quick pickle for some peaches I wanted to serve with pork later on this week (I pickled them for 2 days), but if want to preserve them, remember to sanitize your mason jars, wash your peaches extra carefully, and fill with hot brine before sealing.

You will need (increase the solution proportionally per peach):

• one Georgia peach
• 1 .5 star anise
• 4 T pickle juice
• 3 T white sugar
• 1 T juniper berries
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, finely diced

1. Peel the peaches – either by blanching them super-quickly in boiling water, or just with a sharp pairing knife, as I did. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.

2. Prepare the quick pickle brine in a jar or a deep bowl by combining all of the above ingredients. Taste for sweetness.

3. Immerse peaches in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hrs +.

This would be great with roast chicken, pork, barbecue, or just with salad or rice pilaf, if you are vegetarian. Or you can improvise and substitute the peaches for a chutney in a cheese sandwich, for example.

A summer moment, preserved!