Sorry that it's been a while since I posted. That darn life thing intruding again.

Ten days ago, I did my first canning of 2013. I canned four pints each of bourbon peaches and brandied cherries (though I divided two pints of the cherries into half pint jars since they are used in smaller quantities in cocktails or as an ice cream topper).

I'm also steeping some cherry vinegar. You simply combine the cherry pits and some distilled white vinegar, let sit, strain, and Voila! Cherry vinegar. I think it will be tasty in salad dressings or reduced to make a sauce for pork or chicken. Plus, you get use from even the cherry pits, letting none of the flavor go to waste.

One element of canning fresh fruit requires that you create a simple syrup — sugar and water heated until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. It's the base of the liquid in which the fruit is preserved. One of the things I learned is that you can go beyond basic simple syrup and make an infused syrup. All you need to do is add a natural flavoring agent. I used cinnamon and fresh ginger and cloves, but you can use other spices — or even citrus peels — to flavor the syrup. You either need to put the flavoring agents into a cheesecloth bag or strain the syrup.

So, what do you do with the syrup (apart from canning fruit)? Well, I plan to use the leftover syrup from the bourbon peaches to glaze a ham. You can thin it slightly and use it to braise meat or to brush roasting vegetables. You can add a small amount (maybe 2 tbsp) to a glass of cold sparkling water to create your own soda. You can use it as a base for cocktails. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!