Welcome to Kitchen Queries, where the nigella.com team will answer your cooking or food related questions.  We’d love you to submit some of your recipe problems, dilemmas or queries for us to get our teeth into!

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• Spiced Peaches Preserve

  Hi I'm would like to make Spiced Peach Preserve as presents for Christmas, but I'm not sure when the best time to make it is and how long it will keep? Thanks!

  Posted by jessipaul. Answered on 15th Nov 2011 at 12.00

  From the nigella team:

  We suspect you are referring to the Spiced Peaches recipe in Nigella Express (p337). This is made with tinned (canned) peaches in syrup. Unfortunately this is not quite a regular preserve as it has a lower level of sugar and is not cooked for as long. It is more like a fresh relish.

  In this case if you are making it as a gift you will need to make it as close as possible to the date that you intend to give it on. The spiced peaches should keep around the same time as most opened canned fruit and this is up to one week from opening. It is also important that once the peaches have been made and cooled that they are transferred to clean containers and kept refrigerated. When you make the peaches we suggest that you clearly label them with the appropriate use by date and also that the peaches should be kept refrigerated.

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