GRANDMA AMY'S PEACH CONSERVES

I have been stuffing myself with peaches and other summer fruit these past two weeks!  It occurred to me that in a month or so, we will be in the winter fruit-doldrums: apples, oranges and bananas for about 6 months (unless you are willing to pay high prices for foreign-grown fruit)! Where I live, you can still get peaches at a reasonable price and the flavor is spectacular.  So, I am sharing a recipe with you for peach conserves.  Think warm biscuits on cold winter mornings! It was given to me by Amy Muir, my step-grandmother, who was a professor at Brigham Young University, in the Food Sciences department.  I am a novice at canning (I've only been a helper, never done it by myself!) so I can't give you any insider tips on making this.  The recipe assumes you know how to can, so if you don't, maybe you could find a friend to work with.   Although I haven't made this recipe, I have eaten the "jam" and it is quite addictive!  So, if you can keep from eating all the peaches first, here's a great way to preserve them.

GRANDMA AMY'S PEACH CONSERVES

Ingredients:

4 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut in chunks 

1 lemon; zest the yellow part of the rind and also use the juice

1-#2 can of crushed pineapple (20 oz.), drained

8-oz. almonds (blanched and finely chopped) or pecans or walnuts/chopped

8-oz. raisins

Granulated sugar (amount depends on amount of pulp, see directions)

Pectin, 1 pkg. (follow directions in pkg.) 

Directions:

1) Cook all except sugar until soft.  

2) For every pint of pulp add 1 lb. of granulated sugar and cook until rich and thick, stirring constantly.

3) Pour into bottles and seal.