Vanilla Peach Jam

Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Since peaches are a soft fruit without a lot of pectin of their own; it’s a good idea to add some pectin, which is a natural fiber. When cooked with the right balance of water, sugar and acid, pectin forms a microscopic mesh that holds those other elements in suspension. It just so happens that the ideal proportions of those elements tastes sublime. In this jam, the fragrance of vanilla combines with the peach to add depth and indescribable richness. (Makes six 8-ounce jars) 4 pounds (about 8 large) ripe peaches 1/2 cup lemon juice 1 vanilla bean, slpit in half lengthwise and scraped to loosen the seeds 1 (2-ounce) box powdered pectin 5 cups sugar 1.) In a stockpot or a canning kettle, cover 6 clean, 8-ounce canning jars with boiling water.  Simmer, covered over low heat to sterilize jars. 2.) Peel the peaches by plunging them into a separate pot of boiling water then rinsing them under cool water as you strip off the skin. (Peaches must be ripe or the skins will not slip away easily.) 3.) In a heavy, 4-quart soup pot or Dutch oven over high heat, mash the peaches with the lemon juice and the vanilla bean.  When the fruit has come to a full, rolling boil, stir in the sugar.  Continue stirring until mixture returns to a boil, then stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer.  When the thermometer registers 220, take the pot off the heat. 4.) With tongs, lift the sterilized jars from their simmering water bath and arrange them right side up on a clean kitchen towel.   5.) With tongs, remove the vanilla bean pod from the jam and save it for another use; the seeds should be dispersed throughout the jam. Ladle the jam into the sterilized jars. Dip one corner of a clean lint-free towel into the boiling water and wipe the lips of the jars to remove any jam. 6.) Put on the lids and seal according to manufacturer's instructions then put the jam-filled jars back in the boiling water and boil for five minutes.  Allow the jam to cool in the jars undisturbed for several hours or overnight. Jam keeps in a cool dark place for at least a year.

 

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