Method

In a kettle, combine the water and sugar.  Add the vanilla bean.  Heat the contents to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Simmer the syrup, uncovered, for 10 minutes.   Remove the kettle from the heat and remove the vanilla bean (rinse, dry, and save it, if you like, to flavor sugar).  Cover the syrup to keep it warm.

While the syrup simmers, loosen the skins of the peaches by dropping a few at a time into a kettle of boiling water.  After 1 minutes, take the peaches out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a large bowl.  When they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.  Divide any juice that has collected in the bowl among 5 quart mason jars.

Return the kettle of syrup to the heat.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches, a few at a time, to the syrup.  Bring the syrup to a boil, and then transfer the peaches to the jars.

Makes 5 quarts

Reprinted with permission from ©Linda Ziedrich, The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves, by Linda Ziedrich, published by Harvard Common Press      click for book review

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