Perziken op Brandewijn

Dutch Golden Age peaches preserved whole in spiced brandy: the VOC-era tradition of capturing summer stone fruit in sweetened spirits, fragrant with cinnamon and cloves, served from a wide-mouthed jar through the winter months

Origin: Amsterdam, Dutch Republic

From the journey of Peach.

Preserving fruit in brandy (brandewijn; literally 'burnt wine', the Dutch word that gave English 'brandy') was one of the great domestic arts of the Dutch Golden Age. Householders across the Dutch Republic put up summer stone fruits; peaches, apricots, cherries, plums; in sweetened spirits at the height of the season, storing them in wide-mouthed earthenware crocks to be brought out at winter tables as a dessert, a digestif, or a gift. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) formalised and industrialised this tradition: ship surgeons and company officials preserved peaches and other stone fruits in spirits for long voyages, both as a practical preservation against scurvy and as a trade luxury. When VOC Commander Jan van Riebeeck sailed to the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, he brought with him the horticultural and culinary knowledge of a nation that had spent fifty years growing and preserving peaches with considerable sophistication. The Dutch still-life painters of the Golden Age; Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Adriaen Coorte, Pieter Claesz; painted peaches with an exactitude that was itself a form of documentation: the fuzz, the split skin, the translucent flesh. Perziken op brandewijn survives in the Netherlands as a traditional home preserve, made at the height of the peach season in August and matured for at least six weeks before opening.

Ingredients

Fruit

1 kg ripe but firm peaches (yellow or white-fleshed)

Sweetener

300 g white caster sugar

Liquid

200 ml water

Spirit

500 ml good-quality brandy (Dutch jenever-style if available, otherwise Cognac or any clean brandy)

Spice

2 sticks cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 vanilla pod, split

Acid

4 strips of lemon zest

Method

Sterilise a large wide-mouthed preserving jar (2-litre capacity) by washing thoroughly in hot soapy water, rinsing, and drying in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before use.
Score a small cross in the base of each peach. Blanch in boiling water for 30–60 seconds, then transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water. Peel the skins away; they should slip off easily. Leave the peaches whole with the stone in, or halve and stone them if they are too large for your jar.
Make a light syrup: combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, vanilla pod, and lemon zest. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Pack the peeled peaches snugly into the sterilised jar. Pour the cooled spiced syrup over the peaches, then pour in the brandy. The peaches must be completely submerged; top up with additional brandy if necessary. Tuck the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and vanilla pod in alongside the fruit.
Seal the jar tightly and store in a cool, dark place for a minimum of six weeks before opening. The preserve will keep for up to one year, improving for the first three to four months.
To serve: remove peaches from the jar with a slotted spoon. Serve whole or halved alongside vanilla ice cream, thick cream, or a slice of almond cake. Spoon some of the spiced brandy syrup over the top. The preserve liquid can also be served as a digestif in small glasses.

Notes

The quality of both the peaches and the brandy determines everything in this preserve. Use peaches at the absolute peak of ripeness, fragrant, golden, yielding slightly to the thumb, but still firm enough to hold their shape through six weeks of preservation. Overripe peaches will disintegrate. The Dutch Gold Age tradition used the local korenbrandewijn (grain brandy) or imported French brandy; a Cognac VS or any clean, good-quality brandy works well. Avoid flavoured brandies or anything with a dominant oak character that will compete with the peach.

The Gastrographer

Name: Perziken op Brandewijn
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Dutch Republic
Ingredients: 1 kg ripe but firm peaches (yellow or white-fleshed); 300 g white caster sugar; 200 ml water; 500 ml good-quality brandy (Dutch jenever-style if available, otherwise Cognac or any clean brandy); 2 sticks cinnamon; 6 whole cloves; 1 vanilla pod, split; 4 strips of lemon zest

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control