We just got back from vacation in Georgia. It’s such a great state with so many people committed to delicious food fresh off the farm.  My kind of place, really.  And to be honest, they make some mean fried chicken.

While I was there I couldn’t help but do some canning of some fresh Georgia peaches.  I basically followed this method for canning the teeny ten pounds I had into four quart jars.  In some of the jarred peaches I packed in some fresh basil, which is now – a week later – great on my late morning Greek yogurt.

Although I think I’ll give the raw pack method a shot next time (this version left the peaches very cooked and soft), the beautiful thing about this recipe is the copious amounts of peach nectar that you are left with.  I jarred two extra quarts of nectar that I spiced in a couple of ways: one with generous amounts of tarragon and the other with peppercorns, clove and thyme.

I use this nectar in cocktails with bourbon, lime and a splash of bitters.  And added a bunch to iced tea while we were down south.   It would sweeten morning oatmeal (or grits??) perfectly and work wonders on some sour cream waffles.  Honestly, I haven’t yet exhausted the possibilities.

Playlist included Settle Down, by Kimbra.  Give that one a listen.  It was basically the theme song for the vacation.  I might just rename my daughter Nebraska Jones.

*Teaches of Peaches