Spiced Peaches
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA EXPRESSIntroduction
I've used bottled peaches, I've used canned peaches, and it honestly doesn't matter which, but I'm afraid you have to resist the healthier peaches canned in fruit juice rather than syrup. If you can find only slices, not halves, so be it. This is a beautiful condiment to eat with roast ham, hot or cold, and I love it with cheese too. It makes the kitchen feel like a proper holiday kitchen, and it's a very good thing to take with you if you are going to someone's house for Christmas lunch — beautiful in old-fashioned glass jars.
And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
I've used bottled peaches, I've used canned peaches, and it honestly doesn't matter which, but I'm afraid you have to resist the healthier peaches canned in fruit juice rather than syrup. If you can find only slices, not halves, so be it. This is a beautiful condiment to eat with roast ham, hot or cold, and I love it with cheese too. It makes the kitchen feel like a proper holiday kitchen, and it's a very good thing to take with you if you are going to someone's house for Christmas lunch — beautiful in old-fashioned glass jars.
And please read the Additional Information section at the end of the recipe before proceeding.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: approx. 8 people
- 800 grams canned peach halves in syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 short cinnamon sticks
- 1 x 4 centimetres piece of fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thinly into rounds)
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)
- ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 28 ounces canned peach halves in syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 short cinnamon sticks
- 1½ inches piece of fresh gingerroot (peeled and sliced thinly into rounds)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)
- ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
Method
- Empty the cans of peaches with their syrup into a saucepan.
- Add the vinegar, cinnamon, sliced ginger, chilli flakes, salt, peppercorns and cloves.
- Bring the pan to the boil, and let the contents bubble for a minute or so, then turn off the heat and leave in the pan to keep warm.
- Serve the peaches with a hot ham, letting people take a peach half each and some of the spiced juice. (Any leftover spiced peaches can, and should, be stored in a jar and then eaten cold with cold ham.)
- Empty the cans of peaches with their syrup into a saucepan.
- Add the vinegar, cinnamon, sliced ginger, chilli flakes, salt, peppercorns and cloves.
- Bring the pan to the boil, and let the contents bubble for a minute or so, then turn off the heat and leave in the pan to keep warm.
- Serve the peaches with a hot ham, letting people take a peach half each and some of the spiced juice. (Any leftover spiced peaches can, and should, be stored in a jar and then eaten cold with cold ham.)
Additional Information
The Spiced Peaches are intended to be an accompaniment to a hot or cold ham. Unfortunately they are not a preserve and so will not last for a long time. The keeping time is dependent on the life of the canned peaches once they have been opened. We would suggest that the peaches should be consumed within 4 days of making. However we have noticed that the "use by after opening" information for canned peaches in light syrup varies according to brand and you should follow the specific guidance on the particular cans you use.
The Spiced Peaches should be allowed to cool slightly then transferred to clean containers, covered tightly and refrigerated. They should be kept refrigerated until eaten, though you could warm them gently before serving (but discard any leftovers if you do this). If you are giving the peaches as gifts then make sure that you label them with instructions to keep in the fridge and also a "use by" date.
The Spiced Peaches are intended to be an accompaniment to a hot or cold ham. Unfortunately they are not a preserve and so will not last for a long time. The keeping time is dependent on the life of the canned peaches once they have been opened. We would suggest that the peaches should be consumed within 4 days of making. However we have noticed that the "use by after opening" information for canned peaches in light syrup varies according to brand and you should follow the specific guidance on the particular cans you use.
The Spiced Peaches should be allowed to cool slightly then transferred to clean containers, covered tightly and refrigerated. They should be kept refrigerated until eaten, though you could warm them gently before serving (but discard any leftovers if you do this). If you are giving the peaches as gifts then make sure that you label them with instructions to keep in the fridge and also a "use by" date.
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Show more commentsI made these with Nigella's Slow-Cooked Black Treacle Ham recipe and it was dinner perfection! I loved the combination and my family keeps talking about it days later. I can't imagine having a ham without them now.
Superb!
These peaches are so scrummy. Getting more and more difficult to find peach halves in syrup though. It's easier to find slices, and still works, just have to be super-careful of cooking time.
I made four jars of these about six weeks ago and they are still perfect and taste absolutely spectacular with ham (and cheese). You just need to make sure that your jars are sterilised and have a good seal and they will last, not sure how long for, but as I said six weeks on, still fab! Thanks Nigella for all your fab recipes! X
Hi, would also like to know how far in advance this can be made? Thanks
Just realised I said it last year but however, here we go again with so many of your recipes. Thank you. Happy Christmas
I would think that this would work for canned pears as well.
Love it thank you Nigella would not have Christmas ham without it now one of so many of your recipes.