Peach Preserves

‘Tis the end of summer. Time to do something about all of the seasonal fruit you told yourself you were going to eat during June, July, and August. We get it, it’s hard to buy fruit when it can turn so quickly... most notably, those peaches. So, if your parents came to town and mom was a tad overzealous with the farmer’s market purchases (there’s only so many peaches you can eat in a week’s time), we got you. While it’s super creative to want to tackle Baked Alaska or a soufflé with a peachy twist, they are both labor-intensive and the former, possibly a fire hazard if you aren’t skilled with a mini-torch gun.It’s a reality that most people don’t have their own bountiful garden growing in their backyard, but harvesting food should be understood and practiced by all mediums, whether it’s purchased, given to you, or the fruits of your own labor. Farmers evaluate what is left of their crops and can what they don’t immediately use, so why can’t you? Craving peaches mid-winter? No worries!  Peaches have a row all to themselves in the pantry!  This quick and easy peach jam can be made and consumed immediately, or you can go all out and can as many mason jars as your little heart desires. | INGREDIENTS |2 Medium to Large Peaches4 teaspoons Freshly Juiced Lemon4 teaspoons Agave | ASSEMBLY |1 | Peel, core, and dice peaches.  2 | Using a sauce pan on low to medium heat, add diced peaches, lemon juice, and agave to a light boil. Stir frequently.   3 | After about 10 minutes, mash the peaches with a potato masher until they are mostly mushy (if you want some texture to be chunky that's okay too). 4 | Keep stirring and cooking for another 10 minutes, for a total cooking time of 20 minutes.5 | Remove from heat and place in canning jar. 6 | Store in fridge for up to two weeks. If you’d like to preserve it for longer, place in a sterilized canning jar and submerge in a hot water bath for about 10 minutes. Let it cool and store in a pantry for up to six months.*Most canning recipes call for the jam/jelly to read between 210-220 degrees if you have a candy thermometer, but it's pretty safe to say that low boiling the mixture for 20-25 minutes will do the trick.**If you want a more maple peach flavor, use date syrup.