Peach Nectar

Pure peach, nothing else. This nectar is just ripe peaches and water, blended down to a smooth, fragrant juice that tastes like a Georgia summer in a glass.

The first step is the one folks skip and regret. Drop the peaches into boiling water for a minute, then shock them in ice water, and the skins slip right off in your hands with no peeler and no fuss.

Sliced fruit goes into the blender with water and gets run until it is fully liquefied, soft and pourable, with the heady smell of ripe fruit filling the kitchen.

A pass through a fine sieve is what makes it nectar instead of a smoothie. Straining out the pulp leaves a silky juice, light enough to drink and smooth enough to mix.

Best of all, there is no added sugar. A ripe, in-season peach brings all the sweetness this needs on its own.

Kitchen Tips

• Use peaches that smell fragrant and give slightly to a gentle squeeze; underripe fruit makes thin, flavorless nectar.
• Score a small X on the bottom of each peach before blanching to help the skins peel even faster.
• Press the pulp against the sieve with a spoon to squeeze out every last drop of juice.
• Make it fresh and use within a couple of days, since there are no preservatives.

Variations

• Stir the nectar into Rosemary Peach Lemonade for a fragrant summer pitcher.
• Freeze it in molds for all-fruit peach popsicles.
• Blend with yogurt and ice for a quick peach smoothie.