Spiced Peaches

Don't pay a lot for these in the glass jar!

3 (1-quart) jars
6 pounds fresh peaches
8 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups water
2 3/4 cups cider vinegar
4 cinnamon sticks, broken, plus more, if desired
4 teaspoons whole cloves plus extra

Place into large, heavy saucepan the sugar, cider vinegar and water. Tie 4 broken cinnamon sticks and 4 teaspoons cloves in a double thickness of cheesecloth; add to saucepan.

Place pan over medium heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boiling; cover and boil for 5 minutes. Uncover and boil 5 minutes longer.

While sugar mixture is boiling, prepare peaches. Have a large pot of water boiling rapidly. Wash peaches. Working with 7 or eight peaches at a time, plunge them into the boiling water. Immediately plunge into cold water, and slip off the skins. Leave peaches whole or cut in half and remove pit. Whole peaches are the usual southern tradition.

Insert a whole clove into each peach, or for spicier peaches use more than one clove. Add peaches to hot syrup. Bring syrup to boiling again and simmer peaches for 10 minutes or until tender.

Quickly drain one sterilized jar. Pack hot peaches into jar, adding a cinnamon stick, if desired, for spicier flavor. Cover top with wax paper and set aside while preparing remaining peaches in the same manner.

After all three jars are filled with peaches, bring syrup to boiling and pour into jars to within 1/2 inch from top. Wipe away any food from the fill line and around the rim. Immediately seal.

Yield: 3 quarts