Peach & Thimble Berry Preserves

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved wild thimble berries! Though they are time consuming to harvest, these tiny, soft fruits are rich in flavor and pair beautifully with the peach! Use them to make peach and thimble berry preserves and you’ll fall in love with them as readily as I have!

 

TIPS FOR HARVESTING THIMBLE BERRIES

When foraging for thimble berries, harvest cleanly! Due to their soft, moist texture, thimbles cannot be washed without losing large quantities of their juices and flavor. Check your collecting container often and remove any debris that might work it’s way in.

After bringing berries home, either process immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

 

HOW TO MAKE PEACH AND THIMBLE BERRY PRESERVES

For one batch, you’ll need 7 half pint (250 ml) jars.

To make the recipe, you’ll need:

• 2 C thimble berries
• 1/2 C water
• 5 large peaches
• 1/3-1/2 C honey (to taste)

Directions: place 1/2 C water and 1/3-1/2 C honey in a pot. Bring to a simmer and add berries. Simmer until berries have broken apart.

Peel your peaches and half, removing the pit. Slice into 1 inch chunks and add them to the pot. Stir often, simmering peaches until they soften and begin to turn red.

Once even the peaches slices are heated throughout, ladle your preserves into hot, half pint jars. Leave 1 inch of head space.

Add hot lids and tighten down with metal bands. Process according to your altitude.

At 2,000 ft in elevation, I had to process half pint jars for 20 minutes.