Oh, Honey Aren’t You Just Peachy
After sharing our dew-lightful experience tasting The Cameron Cupboard’s Dewberry preserves, a reader waved a wand and turned us into jam tasters — Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo. The recommendation, this subscriber’s “favorite spread,” was Ann Spong’s Seven Lakes Peach Honey jam.
Ann said that it is delicious not only on toast but on biscuits and ice cream, as fruit chutney in pork dishes, and straight out of the jar.
Ann has been making peach honey jam for 40+ years. When she and her husband, Buddy, moved to Seven Lakes she said she needed to find a way to use a lot of peaches (which were very abundant in the area in 1975) before they were too ripe to eat. With the help of her mother, Ann began with a basic peach recipe that got tweaked here and there and has turned into the secret recipe many Seven Lakers, friends, and family adore and expect every Christmas.
Her honey is sourced from friends Corinne and George Walls, at Honey Bee Haven in Jackson Springs, and her peaches are local and almost exclusively from Ken Chappell’s Peaches in Eagle Springs. “I insist on using only North Carolina Sandhills peaches,” she says, “because they’re the best!”
At this point, we’re salivating. *Butter Knives Out*
Sway Taste Tester No. 1: The texture was an initial turnoff, as it was chunky and easier to pour out of the jar than it was to spread. But call me kombucha girl, because my attitude turned around at the first bite. It tasted like pastry or pie filling, and since I’m always down for dessert for breakfast, I’ll sign up for two jars, please.
Sway Taste Tester No. 2: Reminds me of a holiday, I think thanksgiving. It has an addictive property. I could spread this on an an entire uncut loaf of bread and eat it whole. 10 / 10, would recommend.
Sway Taste Tester No. 3: Okay even though the texture wasn’t very spreadable, I won’t knock too many points. It tasted like some gourmet pastry even though it was on our generic wonder bread toast. Apparently it’s supposed to be good on top of pork— like a chutney. I’m not sure what exactly a chutney is, but I can tell you, I will be ordering it the next time I get the chance if it’s anything like this. I can really taste the honey in it too. I would also like to say I’m thoroughly enjoying these work day snacks even if it makes me feel mildly like a guinea pig. I’m now a guinea pig that has been awakened to the beauty of honey peach jam. And that’s a good pig to be.
Sway Taste Tester No. 4: Taste Tester No. 1 ate Taste Tester no. 4’s portion. Sorry Taste tester 4, gotta be faster next time…
Want to see if honey peach is your jam? Text Ann at 910-215-4961 and she’ll tell you what you need to know.