Simple Peach Syrup

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Ontario peaches are at their prime in August and September. The Niagara region of Ontario has plenty of fruit, and the peaches are so luscious, perfumed, and dripping with juice that I can easily eat six in a day.

Sometimes, however, the basket of peaches turn out flavourful but mealy in texture: no juicy flesh. I only buy local Ontario peaches when they are in season to minimize the risk of getting a basket of mealy ones. A peach will turn mealy if it is stored at the wrong temperature. After being picked, mature peaches are cooled to between 0C and 2.8C, at which point they are shipped to wherever they are going. However, if they warm up to between 3.3C and 10.5C during storage, their flesh becomes mealy. The best way to avoid mealy peaches is to buy them in season and as local as possible, to minimize the chances that they were held in the mealy-making temperature range. If you buy peaches out of season (aka you buy them during the Canadian winter when they are shipped from who-knows-where), there is a higher chance that somewhere along the shipping lines the storage temperatures where not optimal.

Instead of throwing out the mealy peaches (what a waste), use them to make this peach-flavoured syrup:

Peach Syrup

 

Author:

Kiku Corner

Recipe type: Drinks

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Save Print

 

Makes 1.5 cups

Ingredients

• 3 peaches
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1½ cups water

Instructions

1. Cut the peaches in half and take out the stone.
2. Slice the peaches and place them in a medium pot.
3. Add the sugar and water to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Once the mixture is boiling, turn off the heat and let cool (30-40 minutes).
5. Strain the mixture using cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
6. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.2.1311

Source: L. Kitinoja and A. A. Kader, Postharvest Horticulture Series No. 8E, Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center, University of California, Davis 2002.