Friday, September 24, 2010

Peach Jam


I absolutely love peaches. Eat them fresh, eat them frozen, sprinkled with cinnamon, it's all good to me. So, when my grocery store was selling peaches for less than 50 cents a pound, well, I couldn't resist. I went and bought 12 pounds of peaches. No, I wasn't buying them for anyone else to eat, there's only me. No, I wasn't crazy. It's just that I love a good deal and I do eat a lot of fruit. Still, that was an awful lot of peaches. What could I do with them all?

How about making some Peach Jam? Sound like a good idea? It did to me. Now, I had never made jam before in my life, but there's a first time for everything. The recipe that I found didn't require a lot of ingredients, but it is a bit time consuming. First you need to skin the peaches by blanching them in hot water and shocking them in cold water. Then, the skins are "supposed to" come right off. Well, mine came half off and the other half stuck stubbornly on the fruit. In hindsight, I guess my water may not have been hot enough, or I didn't blanch them long enough. Either way, I ended up just skinning the rest off with a knife.

Then, I cut up my peaches, added a little lemon juice, and set them to cook on the stove. It took a little longer than the recipe stated for my peaches to break down, but soon I was adding my sugar and waiting for it to gel. Ten minutes later, and I had this beautiful bowl of jam to show for all my hard work.


Yum. It's like a bowl of golden sunshine. I added a little cinnamon to mine to give it a little kick. Now, what should I do with all this sweetness?


Maybe eat it on toast. Yeah, that sounds good. I think that's what I'll do. The last of summer never tasted so good.

Peach Jam (adapted from Mix, Mix . . . Stir, Stir)

1 lb. fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 c. sugar

Place a small plate in the refrigerator to have chilled for testing the set of the jam.

Place the peaches and lemon juice in a 3 qt. heavy-bottom sauce pan. Over medium-low heat, let the peaches cook for about 15 min. to become very soft and release their juices. Stir frequently to prevent burning and lower the heat if necessary. As the peaches soften, mash them with the back of a spoon.

Once the peaches have broken down and cooked for 15 min., reduce the heat and stir in the sugar. After the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the jam to a boil for 5 min.

Place a small dollop of jam on the chilled plate and put it in the refrigerator for a minute or two. To check for setting, push one edge of the jam toward the center of the dollop. If the surface wrinkles, the jam is set and can be removed from the heat. If not, continue to cook and re-test every few minutes. Transfer the jam to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 1-2 weeks.

Makes 1 cup

27 comments:

  1. I love peaches and in jam form is so delicious! Thank you so much Lisa for your support! I truly appreciate it.

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  2. Hi, Lisa, thanks for visiting.
    First, your jam looks delicious and whatever you spread it on, I'm sure it tastes just as great.
    I made peach jam for the first time this year adn I scented it with rosemary, that was really a unique combo, I really recommend it.
    Second, when you blanche the peaches you need also to take into consideration if they are very ripe or not, if they are not very ripe they need a few seconds more in boiling hot water.
    The new method for making jam I tried out this year has given me really great satisfaction, simple and quick.
    Have a nice Sunday

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  3. Mmm... peach jam sounds super yummy! I would have loved to make this recipe with white peaches, but I'm afraid I might be too late =/ I didn't see any at the market this weekend... just have to wait until next year ;)

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  4. A bowl of sunshine indeed! Positively luscious!

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  5. Thanks for the comment on my blog. I'm following you now. I can't wait to read more of your recipes!

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  6. This looks awesome!! And less than 50 cents a pound?!?! I would go crazyyy! Here they're usually $1.29/lb. when they're on sale!

    Sues

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  7. I love peaches too! This is a great way to use up the extras.

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  8. I made plum butter recently (my first jam type thing) but it's not as pretty as your peach, so delicate looking!

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  9. Naturally, the JudicialPeach loves the idea of peach jam!

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  10. Hi Lisa,

    I love the Peach Jam color! Looks so beautiful and yummy!
    And thanks for coming to my site.

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  11. I just recently made peach/raspberry jam. Actually canned a quart and a pint. (I've never canned anything before or made jam.) Good stuff.
    And I made some peach butter. Kinda the same as jam, but it sits in the crockpot for a day with lots of spices added. Makes the house smell divine. I just swirled some into some plain yogurt--so good!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  12. This looks great! Thanks for stopping by my site so I could find yours

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  13. I haven't made alot of jam but this looks like I could make this. Thanks for sharing.

    Plan B

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  14. oooo delicious! I'd love to smear that on my scones instead of strawberry for a change!

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  15. Lisa, this is the kind of recipe that will get a cold winter day off to a warm start. Your jam sounds delicious. I like it and all the food and recipes you feature here. I'll be back often. Have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  16. Hi Lisa! I have to say that peaches are probably my favorite fruit. The sad truth is that I've never made jam, of any kind. I think you may have inspired me :)

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  17. Oh, does that look yummy and you made it sound so easy to make. I have several bags of frozen peaces from a friends tree in my freezer right now and I have been contemplating what to do with them.

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  18. 50 cents a lb!! I would have bought 12 lbs too :) mmmmmm love peach jam!!

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  19. That is really nice! Nothing like fresh peach jam! It looks delicious, especially with the cinnamon!

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  20. I love getting a good deal on peaches! I made some jam this year too and can't get enough of it. Yours looks so great!

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  21. 12 pounds of peaches! Wow, I thought I got a lot when I bought 7 pounds.
    I didn't bother blanching my peaches, I just peeled them with a knife. I did blanch tomatoes once and it worked like a dream. So perhaps I should have tried it with the peaches.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  22. I LOVE peaches!! White are my favorites, but I love them all. This peach jam looks so easy and so perfect, I am totally going to have to give this a try!!

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  23. I made no jam this year. what's wrong with me? I wonder if I can still find some peaches.

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  24. Oh, this looks really wonderful. I've never tried my hand at jam before, but I've been bookmarking recipes for when I take the plunge!

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  25. Yum! This reminds me that my wife got a box of peaches to make jam with. They should just be ripe enough now. I know what I'm doing this weekend!

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  26. This looks amazing! And it sounds like something I can do without setting off the smoke alarm! :) Thanks for posting the recipe.

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  27. Hi Lisa, what a great small batch of jam. I missed out on peaches this year, but if I come across some later, this will be cooked up for sure. thanks.

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