Spiced Peach Jam | Adapted from Marisa McClellan’s Food in Jars
I met Marisa in July 2010 at a canning demo held at Terrain at Styers in PA. She is a great presentor and the event was great fun and inspiring. I love the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg in her recipe. I found the use of an immersion blender produced the perfect ‘jammy’ consistency I was looking for. Please check out Marisa’s ever-so-popular blog, Food In Jars.
Ingredients
10 cups of peaches, peeled and chopped
6 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 packets (1 box) liquid pectin
Method:
Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature. Wash your jars and rings in warm soapy water and set aside. Prepare lids: Put your lids in a small pot of water and heat (but do not boil) in order to soften the sealing compound. To sterilize jars: Boil the jars if you do not have a dishwasher. Put the jars in the canning pot, fill the pot 2 inches above the tops of the jars and set it on high heat. Once the water starts boiling, leave the jars for 10 to 15 minutes before you fill them with food. Take the jars directly from the boiling water.
Add peaches and sugar to a large, non-reactive pot. Stir so that the peaches begin to release their juice and mingle with the sugar. Bring to a boil and add cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice and let jam continue to cook for about fifteen minutes. If the fruit hasn’t broken down much after that time is up, use a potato masher or immersion blender (taking care not to burn yourself with hot jam) to break down the chunks. Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes.
Turn off the heat under the jam and skim foam off surface. Fill jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Screw on the bands and lower into the water. Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter. When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed. Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.
Makes 6-7 pints (yield varies depending on width of pot, cooking length and juiciness of fruit).