Sploosh (Spiced Peach Nectar)
When you’re absolutely parched (maybe after digging for treasure?), a jar of sweet Spiced Peach Nectar offers heavenly refreshment. Inspired by the book Holes, this kid-friendly “sploosh” recipe is as fun to make as it is to say.
Good To Know
- Most of the cooking time in this recipe is hands-off while the spices steep in the syrup. You can go read, play, or dig a hole while you’re waiting!
- Sliced peaches come in different strengths of syrup, from “extra-light” to “very heavy,” which just denotes how much sugar is present. I developed this recipe with peaches in extra-light syrup, so I did add the optional sugar, but if your peaches come in heavier syrup, you may not want or need it. I’d opt for a syrup between “extra-light” and “medium” for this recipe, if you can.
- Apple cider vinegar may seem like a surprising ingredient here, but it adds just a little hint of fruity, fermented flavor to this peach nectar.
Equipment You'll Need
- Scissors
- Cheesecloth
- Kitchen twine
- Medium saucepan
- Tongs
- Blender
Measure Your Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 (20-24 ounce) jar sliced peaches in syrup
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Let's Cook!
- 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon allspice berries, ½ teaspoon whole clovesUse scissors to cut a rectangle of cheesecloth that’s about 6-by-9 inches in size. Place the cinnamon stick, allspice berries, and whole cloves in the middle of the cheesecloth, then gather up the sides to form a little bundle. Tie the bundle closed with kitchen twine.
- 1 (20-24 ounce) jar sliced peaches in syrup, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, Pinch ground nutmegPour the peaches and their syrup into a medium saucepan (you can save the jar for step 6, if you like). Taste a little bit of the syrup; if it’s not very sweet, add the optional sugar (and if it is very sweet, skip it!). Add the vinegar, nutmeg, and spice bundle.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat (big bubbles will vigorously break all over the surface). Turn off the stove and slide the saucepan to a cool burner. Let sit until the mixture cools and the flavors blend, at least 30 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the spice bundle from the pot, squeezing out any extra juice; discard the spice bundle.
- Carefully pour the warm peach mixture into a blender jar. Place the lid on the blender and hold it in place with a kitchen towel. Blend the mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the peach nectar into the now-empty peach jar (or another container of your choice). Serve now while it’s warm (like in the book!) or put the lid on the jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.