Peaches Soaked in Red Wine a.k.a. Drunken Peaches

This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe comes straight from my Italian-American grandmother, who introduced me to alcohol by offering me a peach slice that had been soaking in red wine for goodness knows how long. I don’t know how old I was, but I do remember having to look *up* at the kitchen table to accept said peach slice.

To be fair, I was always smallish.

Peaches in red wine are a great simple summer dessert after you’ve enjoyed a fabulous meal and want the party to last just a little bit longer. They are also great as an afternoon pick-me-up, and depending on the strength of the wine, this could pick you up *and* spit you out. But you’ll enjoy every moment!

So the ingredients this week are few–no, not even, they’re couple.

Peaches Soaked in Red Wine or Drunken Peaches

1. You need some red wine; if your father-in-law makes it like mine does, all the better.

Kindly note of our fancy wine glasses. Yes, they are Nutella glasses. You see, we’re paesani and real wine glasses rarely make it out of the cabinet.

2. You need fresh, ripe peaches.

For those of you who don’t like peaches because of the fuzz, this recipe is for you since I recommend peeling the peaches before soaking.

Peel, remove the pit, slice, and place in a glass of red wine. Let soak for as long as you can stand it. I usually leave them in the wine for about 10 to 20 minutes.

3. Enjoy each delicious slice one at a time with sips of wine in between if you like.

Notice, as well, our fancy plastic plates. What you see is what you get, faithful readers — there ain’t no fancying up peaches soaked in red wine in this house.

But they’re still pretty, don’t you think?

Tasty too.

Buon appetito!

Do you soak your fruit in alcohol? Do tell!

34 Beans of Wisdom to “Peaches Soaked in Red Wine a.k.a. Drunken Peaches”
  1. 08.06.2008

    Most of our glasses are Nutella pots, too! Yay, Nutella!

    Vivi’s last blog post..99 days

    The chocolatey hazelnut spread that just keeps on giving!

  2. Is a mojito considered a fruit and alcohol pairing? How about a margarita? ๐Ÿ™‚
    .

    nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..David Lebovitz’s tips for getting rich in France (can also be applied to Italy)

    Certainly alcohol/fruit pairings indeed…but do you *soak* your fruit? Hmm….

  3. Gil
    08.06.2008

    I remember the wine soaked peaches. They were so good!!! We have been getting some real good white peaches and I think at least one of them is getting soaked in some red wine in the next day or two.

    Hope you enjoy them as much as I did ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Joanne at frutto della passione
    08.06.2008

    I remember my dad doing this every summer of my life. He’d prepare them and then drink the wine at dinner. His pleasure at eating the peaches after drinking the wine was contagious. *This is the best part* would be repeated over and over, then he’d fall asleep on the couch ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..Pasta Fredda

    Well he *does* have a point….

  5. 08.06.2008

    I love sangria, and I’ve poached pears in riesling and sugar syrup, but I never would have thought of this. It looks gorgeous — sounds delicious!

    annoa2’s last blog post..I Never…

    Ooh those pears sounds lovely too….

  6. See, I was hip and didn’t even know it! I *heart* peaches in red wine … in fact, I am heading to lunch now … hmmm….

    Cherrye at My Bella Vita’s last blog post..Guest Blogger Erin: What I Learned by Blogging

    Well I don’t know if this is *hip* per se, but it is tasty ๐Ÿ˜‰

  7. Scicchi
    08.06.2008

    I’ve heard of this but never tried it (but will surely do so).

    I never soaked fruit, but a local bar used to sell maraschino cherries in grain alcohol and then sell them for $1.00 each. You didn’t have to worry about spending too much, that’s for sure!

    Geez, maraschino cherries for a buck each?! They must’ve sold better very *late* in the evening ๐Ÿ˜‰ I think you’ll enjoy these peaches!

  8. 08.06.2008

    I could use one of those peaches now!

    running42k’s last blog post..The Flash

    Start peeling!

  9. That looks scrummy. And I have to tell you that seeing the nutella glasses brings me right at home in my childhood in the late 1970s and 1980s in Switzerland. We had nutella glasses, but also glasses that used to be mustard jars. And some of those had cartoon characters. To this day I am still confused why really tasty, even slightly grainy (not too grainy though coz it was still a cheaper brand, but it was so good) mustard would end up in jars (and then glasses) that had donald duck on them. Of course, don’t get me wrong, at age 4 i was always requesting the donald duck glass.

    Valerie aka City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Catalan Chickpeas with Almonds and Tomatoes

    Oh that’s too funny with the mustard! I have some World Cup Nutella glasses that I’m particularly proud of…and also Shrek!

  10. 08.06.2008

    I think it is something which should be tried and it is reasonably looks very good to me as i am a love of red wine and Peaches. Most of my endeavours comes to an end due to my wife because she think that I always do silly stuff. I think this can impress her as well.

    I hope you and your wife both enjoy ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. 08.06.2008

    MMM,MMM, good!!

    Love fruit in wine. Love to poach it on the stove in winter too.

    I love to soak it, then serve the fruit with a little marscapone and honey.

    Now you got me hungry ๐Ÿ˜‰

    My Mรฉlange’s last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday- Doin’ Double-Duty

    Mmmm…fruit and wine and cheese and honey…YUM!!!!!

  12. 08.06.2008

    I’ve never been so classy as to soak peaches in wine (although now I’m definitely going to try it as soon as the freestone peaches come to market this summer). I have, however, been to summer parties where a hole has been cut in a watermelon just big enough for the neck of a bottle of vodka. At the end of the day, when that watermelon is cracked open, it’s an adult-only treat. The kids get a watermelon of their own. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Ami’s last blog post..The Return of Fiction

    Good idea on the separate watermelon for the kids. And believe me, peaches in wine are about as country as you can get…this is Calabrian peasant food (homemade wine of course) ๐Ÿ˜‰

  13. 08.06.2008

    Thank you for visiting my new blog — and as for chickpeas, I hear you. I am not sure I saw canned chickpeas in Switzerland growing up, ever. Dried chickpeas was all that there was. As a result I still often cook dried chickpeas, though I appreciate the luxury of always having a couple of cans on hand at home. Always having that backup can means that I can make hummus anytime, without planning, and have dinner ready in under 8 minutes. Can you easily find dried chickpeas and lentils where you are?

    City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Catalan Chickpeas with Almonds and Tomatoes

    Oh yes, easy peasy to find lentils and chickpeas in all forms…I’m very lucky ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. 08.06.2008

    Drunken peaches! Yummm!

    Marie’s last blog post..What to do with an over abundance of veggies!!

  15. 08.06.2008

    How delicious! It’s peach season here in MI, and my equally red-wine loving Swedish daughter will be here soon, so I think this will most definitely have a place at my table. I’m making a low fat peach/blueberry cobbler today. YUM!

    As for soaking fruit in alcohol, I adore pears poached in wine and I use raisins soaked in rum in a variety of recipes.

    jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..Music Monday/Toronto Week: Avenue Q

  16. 08.06.2008

    Yay for simplicity, tasty freshness, and incorporating wine into recipes!

    I remember looking up to accept olives out of my grandparents’ martinis. Same same, but different?

    Wish my father-in-law made red wine!

    Boots in the Oven’s last blog post..Bacon, Bacon, Bacon!

    Hey, your HusBear makes bacon, unless that’s you HusBear!

  17. 08.06.2008

    Yum! Those look good! I was wondering what your flickr pictures would be used for. ; )

    My mom used to make her own liqueur. My parents’ neighbor had a grape vine growing over the fence onto my parents’ property. I don’t know exactly how she did it, but she used really cute bottles and it tasted really good.

    Anali’s last blog post..Left On Red

    Oh that sounds fun, Anali…pretty too!

  18. I am so getting peaches next time I go to Whole Foods.

    Are you trying to tell me Italian Nutella comes in highball glasses? I went into a shop on the North End (big Little Italy Boston) that advertised “imported Nutella” and waited in line, all excited… only to find it was imported from Canada. Whoop de sh*t.

    paul of crazy like whoa’s last blog post..Street ridin’ man

    That is hilarious! After the fact, of course. And yes on the Nutella glasses….

  19. 08.06.2008

    I soak pineapple pieces or raisins in rum, before making them into a cake.

    meredith’s last blog post..Keeping cool on the shady side

    YUM!!!!!!

  20. 08.06.2008

    ah, the beauty of a NON-cooking recipe during the heat of the summer! Good in so many ways. I’ve been eating my peaches in sorbet form the last couple of days, I admit. Now I’ve got to try this!

    Kim B.’s last blog post..Four Years Ago Yesterday

    OK well sorbet would make me happy too….

  21. 08.06.2008

    Tonight I’m canning peaches. I am going to put a couple of tablespoons of late harvest vidal wine into each jar. When the snow flies, I’m going to be so happy I did.
    I’ll post the recipe in the next few days.

    Kath

    Kath’s last blog post..Clicking along.

    Looking forward to it Kath ๐Ÿ™‚

  22. 08.06.2008

    Fruit soaking in alcohol? Yes, once, in everclear one woeful summer day in Myrtle Beach. After this, I thought I’d never again soak my fruit in alcohol. But Peaches and Red wine might to too tempting to pass up.

    Diane Mandy’s last blog post..Not for the faint of heartโ€ฆ

    Don’t let Everclear ruin your experience with fruit and alcohol! I speak from experience ๐Ÿ™‚

  23. 08.06.2008

    I’d have to say that I’ve never soaked anything in wine before. But I’m definitely going to try your featured recipe! I’ll eat and sip alone since Alex doesn’t drink!!!

    do you prefer your reds on the smoky/robust side or more fruity?

    Eryn’s last blog post..My Weekendโ€ฆ..phlog!

    I hope you enjoy Eryn ๐Ÿ™‚

  24. oh yum! what a good summer idea. Sangria- Italy style ๐Ÿ™‚

    erin :: the olive notes’s last blog post..guest blogger day

    Indeed ๐Ÿ™‚

  25. Didn’t you mention the soaked peaches in red wine some other time? I remember hearing about them and I’ve been wanting to try them ever since. Sounds so yummy. Simple. I like simple too.

    collette~all over the map’s last blog post..circa 1977

    I’m sure I did; in fact, perhaps in that meme I linked to ๐Ÿ™‚ So tasty!

  26. 08.07.2008

    Oh, my word! It’s too early in the morning for me to be thinking about peaches in wine. That looks delicious. Your pictures are soooo tempting. Sangria wine is about the most I’ve experienced of wine soaked fruit, and the fruit wasn’t the object of the game, lol!

    This Eclectic Life’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #47. Signs of a True โ€œRoadhouseโ€

    Hey, it all sounds good to me Shelly ๐Ÿ™‚

  27. i’ve done it for pies and granitas… hope that counts!!

    Sounds great to me ๐Ÿ™‚

  28. 08.08.2008

    This sounds so simple and delicious. We’re going to Gulf Shores for vacation next week so I’m going to try it there.

    Louise’s last blog post..Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce Dessert

    Hope you enjoy it *and* your vacation Louise ๐Ÿ™‚

  29. OMG! Just picked up some fresh peaches and I am opening a bottle of wine. This sounds amazing!

    J for Kitchen Confit’s last blog post..Shrimp and Grits

    Hope you love it as much as I do!

  30. 08.13.2008

    Michelle,
    That brought tears to my eyes. We recently lost my Grandfather, and when I euologized him I spoke of all the summers he’d make peaches and wine for us.
    That will always be what summer tastes like to me.
    Thank you for making my day.

    Minnie’s last blog post..You Can’t Make this Stuff Up

    Oh that’s lovely Minnie. Thank *you* for sharing that ๐Ÿ™‚

  31. 06.02.2009

    I diced up yellow and white peaches and soaked them in Lapponia Lakka, a Finish ‘cloud liquour’ that is lighter in taste than brandy. They soaked for about 4 hours, and were served spooned over vanilla bean ice cream. Delish!

    NancyMโ€™s last blog post..Succulent succulents

    Sounds great, Nancy!

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