12 ripe peaches
3½ cups Champagne vinegar
3 cups water
2½ cups sugar
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised by hitting with a rolling pin
or meat tenderizer, then chopped
1/2 cup orange zest, made using a zester not a microplane
1/2 cup lemon zest, made using a zester not a microplane
1 cup roughly chopped fennel bulb
1 Fresno chili, seeds removed, roughly chopped
1 Tbs. peeled and grated fresh ginger
15 Szechuan peppercorns
1 Tbs. coriander seed
1 Tbs. fennel seed
4 1-quart canning jars with lids and rims, washed well and air dried
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make an ice bath in a bowl with equal parts ice and water. Score an X in the skin on the bottom of the peaches without cutting deeply into the flesh. Submerge the peaches in the boiling water for one minute. Remove and submerge them in the ice bath to cool them and stop the cooking. Peel the peaches and place three or four in each jar.
Bring all the remaining ingredients to a boil in a stainless-steel saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes.
Divide the hot pickling liquid and its ingredients between the jars, making sure that the peaches are fully submerged and that there will be about 1/2-inch between the contents and the lids. Cool to room temperature. Cover with lids and rims and refrigerate. Allow the peaches to cure for one week before opening the jars.
Unopened, the peaches will keep in the refrigerator for up to three months. Once opened, they will keep for up to two weeks longer in the refrigerator.
Chef's Tip
“These peaches are great served on toast with some soft, fresh cheese, on the side of roast pork, or even on your pancakes in the morning,” says Heinze.
Vern’s
41 Bogard St., Downtown
vernschs.com
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