Peaches in Moscato Syrup, or Pesche Sciroppate al Moscato

In late summer peaches are at their ripest, and richest, and now is the time to set some aside for the winter months; you'll find these to be far superior to anything that one can get out of a can. In terms of peach varieties, you'll want firm fleshed yellow peaches, and of a kind whose pit comes out easily. This recipe will yield about 10 half-pint (250 ml) jars, and they'll make excellent holiday gifts too. You'll need:

• 13 1/2 pounds (6 k) medium sized, blemish-free, ripe peaches
• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) sugar
• 1 quart (1 l) spring water
• A 750 ml bottle of non-sparkling Moscato wine
• The juice of 3 organically grown lemons
• 3/5 cup (150 ml) rum
• 10 leaves lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis), or 10 slices of lemon zest (yellow part only)

Begin by making sure your jars are clean and dry.
Next, the syrup: Put the lemon juice through a fine-mesh strainer to filter it and combine it, in a pot, with the spring water, wine, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the fire, add the rum, and let it cool completely.
Bring another pot of water to a boil. Cut the peaches in half, pit them, and blanch the halves in the boiling water for a few seconds to loosen the skins, which you will want to remove and discard. Put the peach halves in the jars; if you prefer you can also cube the peach halves before putting them in the jars.
Fill the jars to the brim with the syrup, topping each off with a lemon balm leaf or a strip of lemon zest, and cover them tightly with the lids. Fill a large pot with cold water, set a rack into it, and put the jars on the rack; there should be at least 2 inches of water covering them. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer the jars for a half hour to sterilize the peaches. Let them cool in the water, dry them off, and store them in a cool dark place. They'll be ready in a month, and bring back a welcome remembrance of summer.