3 1/2 cups lightly crushed peaches
3 tablespoons powdered low sugar pectin*
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 fish peppers, diced
Directions:
Evenly sprinkle the bottom of the Ball Jam Maker with the pectin. Spoon the fruit and peppers in a relatively even layer over the pectin. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Press the jam button. You will hear a beep at 4 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit mixture while the machine is still running. Cover and wait for the jam cycle to complete. Press the cancel button and unplug the machine. If not using a Ball Jam Maker, make the jam on the stovetop using the traditional method as seen in this recipe.
Ladle the jam into prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in the hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Yield: about 4 8-oz jars
*I recommend these jars of flex batch pectin. 3 tablespoons equals 1/2 of a pouch of boxed pectin.
Note: A great source for canning information is the Blue Book guide to preserving. I highly recommend it for learning how to can. Here is a bunch of other canning books and equipment I find useful.
My thoughts:
My husband loves peaches. I'm more of a nectarine girl myself because I am one of the unlucky few that get itchy when I handle peaches. Luckily, he is happy to peel (and cube!) them for me so I can enjoy them as much as he does. So when the lovely people at the Washington State Fruit Commission and the masterminds behind Sweet Preservation offered to send me some stone fruit again this year (you may remember the peaches in vanilla bean syrup, spicy nectarine barbecue sauce, zesty plum ketchup and ginger-cardamom nectarine jam I made with fruit they sent me last September) I jumped at the chance! It came in a huge box,and all of the fruit looks perfect including some of the biggest peaches I've seen and some fragrant apricots. Of course it arrived the same day I came home with 5 lbs of plums so I'm a bit overwhelmed with fruit at the moment. The urge to make jam was strong because there is nothing like a bit of summer in the dead of winter to cheer you up. I went for a sweet-hot jam using heirloom fish peppers from the garden that will be lovely in any manner of savory (and sweet uses).
I know the jam machine is somewhat controversial among canners, some say that it isn't true jam making unless you are standing over a hot stove to make it. I get it. I'm someone who corned my own beef (and smoked it to make pastrami), made my own mustard and seeded sourdough rye bread for a single sandwich. I'm all for authentic cooking. But, I honestly don't see what the problem is here. I use an electric mixer too and you don't see any up in arms about that. The jam comes out just as good as it does in the pan (sometimes better because there is no fear of scorching or burning) and last night, I made this jam in 35 minutes (including sealing the jars!) at 10 pm. I can't do that on the stove. Of course, you can make this on the stovetop if you prefer.
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