Marinating Madness: Wine + Fruit = Fun

For those looking for a tasty, boozy twist on their fruit, we’re offering up a super-simple recipe that will make playing bartender a blast.

   Here’s the dish: we’re using math for this recipe, more specific, transitive law—if a equals b, and b equals c, then a equals c. So if you like wine, and if you like fruit, then you must like wine-marinated fruit—that’s math.

   This is a simple concept, but we’ll walk you through it step-by-step, using peaches for this example, which will ultimately be used in bellinis!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 6-10 peaches
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 bottle of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or the like)
• Lemon peel, to taste
• A large, sealable jar—preferably a 1/2 gallon mason jar
• Optional: Herbs, spices and extras

The Process

Peel, quarter and pit the peaches; add to half-gallon mason jar. Add lemon peel to taste—this will help brighten the flavor of the peaches and wine, so less is more if you are citrus averse; a few inches of peel will do. Place in jar and set aside.

If you are going to add some extra flavors—rosemary, mint, cayenne pepper, what have you—add to the peaches now (rosemary is always a nice addition, so a sprig won’t hurt). For our little recipe, a few turns of the pepper mill is in order—the cracked pepper gives a bit of spice while not overpowering the sweetness of the peaches—balance through contrast.

   In a medium bowl, pour in wine and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add wine mixture to the jar, seal with lid and agitate so that the wine completely immerses the peaches. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of three hours to as long as 24 hours if you’re a forward thinking kind of entertainer—the longer the better. Agitate every now to keep from settling.

24 hours later…

Using a sieve, separate wine from the peaches. Pour wine marinade into a jar, seal and set aside for later use.

   Once peaches are thoroughly drained, remove any extras like the lemon peel and sprigs of herbs. Add peaches to a blender or food processor and process until velvety smooth. Pour into a jar for future use.

Now that we have a nice wine-infused peach puree, we’re going to make some fancy-pants Bellini’s. These simple drinks are always refreshing and the perfect way to welcome spring, but there is a little forward thinking for this cocktail if you want to make it extra special. Click on the links below for recipe ideas.