Peachy Friday

The peach tree is being harvested and we are very happy with its first production. The tree-fall and the otherwise less than perfect ones were cut into pieces to be cooked with fruit sugar and lemon juice. For that cooking I left them unpeeled since they would cook plenty long enough to make peeling unnecessary.

I wanted to find a way to use those bits and pieces so I checked the Internet for a salsa or chutney recipe.

From the Food Network site I made this Peach Chutney recipe but added more garlic and some Poblano pepper.

Peach Chutney
Recipe courtesy Jimmy's Uptown, Harlem New York

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 shallots finely diced (onion in a pinch)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (can't buy them because of the problem with them right now so pablano pepper had to do)
1 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, blanched and diced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy (this really made a difference in the good way)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter, add garlic, shallot and jalapeno and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes, add diced peaches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, add sugar, deglaze with brandy and vinegar and allow to cook on low heat until peaches are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

And from My Recipes I found this one with dried fruit, onion, garlic and pecans.

Chunky Peach Chutney
Ingredients
2 medium-size sweet onions, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (I keep this in the freezer)
2 garlic cloves, minced (5 or 6 is more like it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds peaches, cut into chunks (do not peel)
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped (tree fall from the apple tree)
2 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup pitted dried cherries (left this out)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (left this out)
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries (doubled this)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons brandy* (doubled this - the alcohol boils off but the flavor is deepened)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preparation
Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in peaches and next 9 ingredients, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour or until thickened.
Stir in pecans
Makes 7 cups

The results of each are quite good and are now canned, thanks to he who does the boiling water kettle outdoors.
(Blogger isn't allowing photo uploads tonight. Maybe later in the weekend.)