by Colleen Young, MFP Co-Coordinator

If you find yourself with extra peaches this summer, this a great way to use them up. Not to mention it is a favorite of some of my best friends. If it is a little too spicy for you just use 1 teaspoon of the hot pepper flakes. It is excellent on poultry and pork. You can even use it as a dipping sauce.

ZESTY PEACH BBQ SAUCE

Makes about 8 half-pints

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups chopped, pitted, and peeled peaches* (about 3 pounds or 9 medium)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped and seeded red bell pepper (about 1 large)
3 Tbs finely chopped garlic
1 ¼ cups honey
¾ cup cider vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. hot pepper flakes
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp salt

*Note: Do not use white peaches

DIRECTIONS:

Sanitize work space, wash peaches under cool running water, do not soak. Sanitize work area, wash hands in warm, soapy water.

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until mixture thickens to the consistency of a commercial barbecue sauce, about 25 minutes. If desired, puree in batches in a food processor or use an immersion blender to help break down the peaches.

Prepare boiling water canner while sauce is cooking. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.

Boiling water canner: Ladle hot sauce into a hot jar leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled. When using a boiling water canner, the water must cover jars by at least 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process pint jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes before removing from canner.

OR

Atmospheric steam canner: Prepare an atmospheric steam canner. To preheat jars, place upside down in canner and allow them to heat until ready to fill. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with the bands. Ladle hot sauce into a hot jar leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place in the steam canner, do not crowd, leaving space for steam to circulate. Place canner lid on top, bring canner up to seam temperature, 212̊ and begin process timing of 15 minutes adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat when process time has been reached, leaving lid on for 5 minutes before removing the lid.

Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool, undisturbed for 12-24 hours and then check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed. Any jars that have not sealed can be reprocessed with new lids or refrigerated and used right away.

Altitude               Additional Processing time

1,001- 3,000       5 minutes

3,001 – 6,000    10 minutes

6,001 – 8,000    15 minutes

8,001 – 10,000 20 minutes

Original recipe from https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=zesty-peach-barbecue-sauce