In a letter to Shalon, Granny wrote, “I’m sending you two pages (from the Kerr Canning Book) because it had the pickled peach and pear recipe but I always sed the one in your Ball Canning Book. I never put anything in mine but whole spice (allspice) or the cinnamon.”
Granny’s Ball Canning Book is in shreds now and the pickled peach recipe page is missing. Another Ball Canning Book couldn’t be located by publication so this recipe is taken from Granny’s Kerr Home Canning and Freezing Book, p. 56. Pretty close.
Granny, the perfect pickled peach pickler, patiently prepared perfect peach pickles. Ah, perfection!
1 quart vinegar
6 pounds sugar (12 cups)
12 pounds peeled Cling peaches (6 quarts)
4 or 5 whole sticks cinnamon
Make a syrup of the vinegar and sugar and add a spice bag made of 1 tablespoon of ground cloves, and 1 piece of ginger root, if desired. Add cinnamon sticks to the syrup. Add peaches to this boiling syrup. Cook until the fruit can be readily pierced with a stray, let stand in a covered kettle overnight. Next day, pack into sterilized jars. Fill the jar to within 1/2 inch of the top with fruit and syrup. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in boiling water bath 20 minutes.
Canning, 2001