raspberry peach jam

(photo via Instagram)

Ya'll know I love jam. Ya'll know I love peaches. So when I saw this recipe for Raspberry Peach Jam, I knew I had to make that happen. It's super simple to make, and even easier to eat. I want to eat it all day, every day. You should try it. Let's eat jam together, yeah?

Homemade Raspberry Peach Jam adapted from America'sTestKitchenFeed.com

2/3 cup sugar
1 pint of raspberries
3 fresh peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, sliced ¼ inch thick, and each slice halved crosswise
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Place metal spoon in freezer to chill. Heat sugar in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add raspberries and continue to stir until raspberries release their juices, about 1 minute more. Stir in peaches, increase heat to medium-high, bring to boil, and cook until peaches are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and mash fruit with potato masher.

2. Return fruit mixture to boil and cook until mixture thickens to jam-like consistency, 8 to 10 minutes. To test for set point, remove saucepan from heat. Dip chilled spoon into jam, and allow jam to run off spoon; jam should slowly fall off spoon in one thickened clump. If it is runny, return jam to medium heat and simmer 2 to 4 minutes before re-testing. Using large spoon, skim foam from top of jam. Stir in lemon juice.

3. Transfer jam to jars with tight-fitting lids, let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Jam can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

I found this recipe last summer, and made it with my good pal, Julia last summer along with another favorite jam, Rhubarb Raspberry Jam. With the recent influx of good strawberries, I decided to have another go at the recipe. It's super easy to make, and the balsamic really brings out the flavor of the strawberries and adds more depth. So, if you find yourself with an extra basket or two of strawberries, I suggest you make this happen!

Easy Balsamic Strawberry Jam Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped strawberries
1 cup of sugar
2 Tbl. of balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Cook strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a medium pan on med-high heat for about 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. I usually eye-ball the thickness of the sauce to determine when it is done. When the jam mixture has reduced to the consistency of thick honey or 220 degrees F. remove from heat and allow to cool. 

strawberry jam

lately, i've been really into jam. so basically, jam is my jam. am i wrong? i had extra strawberries from a brunch and i was thinking of all the things i could make with them. i was looking in nigella lawson's "how to be a domestic goddess" cookbook and i saw this really simple recipe for cooked strawberry jam. and it had basalmic vinegar in the recipe. sold! basalmic is pretty much a magic ingredient and makes most things infinitely better. it's supposed to bring out the flavor of the strawberries. and there is no pectin! the recipe calls for preserving sugar, but i just used granulated and it worked out just fine. while cooking, she doesn't use a thermometer and cook it to a certain temperature, she uses a method where she puts a saucer into the freezer before she starts, and while cooking, she takes the pan off the heat and drips a teaspoon or so of jam onto the saucer. then if the jam wrinkles when she pushes at it with a finger, then she knows it's ready. i did this as well, but i was looking for a bigger wrinkle than i needed, so i overcooked it a tiny bit. it's still delicious, just a tiny bit stickier than it should be.

3 - 3 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped to desired size
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 8oz. jars or equivalent

stick a saucer into the freezer.

put all the ingredients into a wide saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon to make sure all the fruit is coated.
 

 

put the pan on a low heat and, stirring every now and again, bring to a boil. let boil for about 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of your pan, and start testing for setting point from 4 minutes, taking the pan off the heat and putting a scant teaspoon onto the saucer. leave it to cool for about 10 seconds or so and then poke at it to see if it's ready (look for a slight wrinkle).

when you've reached this point, leave the pan to cool for 20 minutes before decanting into the cleaned, prepared jars.

makes about 3 1/4 cups.

plum jam

my new obsession is plum jam. why did i not know about this earlier? so easy to make, really inexpensive and the recipe i found (at thechefinyou.com) is so made in a couple of simple steps and with only a few ingredients. plum jam + brie + french bread and fresh pear = heaven.

approx. 5 cups of plums, chopped and pitted
2 T. of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 packet powdered fruit pectin (i had the liquid kind and just boiled it all longer)
1 cup honey (increase or decrease as per taste) -- i love that this calls for honey instead of straight sugar
1/2 cup water

mix the plums, pectin and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed pan (i used my dutch oven pot) and cook in medium heat. the plums will start liquifying slowly. while slightly mushy, add 1/2 cup water, stir well and cook until it comes to a boil. remove the foam that forms on the top (or to make the foam go away easily you could just add a little butter.) add the honey or sugar, mix and cook for another 10-15 minutes until it all starts coming together as one thick syrup consistancy.

instructions for the canning process:
alternatively with soapy water, clean the jam can well, along with the lid. lightly dry it and then drop them in a big pot of water. bring them to a boil. lift them carefully (don’t burn your hands) and lightly dry them with paper towels. they should feel hot since it will make sure that the bottle does not break when your pour the jam inside. slowly pour the jam into the jar up to about 1/2-1/8 inch on top. close the lid tightly and invert the bottle to help the jam set well for about 5 minutes.

now slowly place it, straightup, inside the hot boiling water and leave it for another 5-8 minutes. this is done to help make the jam keep longer. if you live in higher altitudes, then leave them for about 10min. too much boiling can make the jam runny, as well.

remove and refrigerate the jars once completely cooled.

dreamy.

rhubarb-raspberry jam

it's official, your grandma and i should be best friends. i spent all day yesterday making jam, knitting, and watching old movies. all i need now is a hip replacement for it to be even more legit. i made two kinds of jam. a plum jam (which i'll post later this week) and this rhubarb-raspberry jam. i've only made freezer jam before, so i was excited to try making the cooked kind. i can't remember how i found this recipe, but i did, and i'm thankful for it. i found it here and it's so much simpler than i thought it would be.

Rhubarb-Raspberry Jam - from The Rhubarb Compendium - makes about enough to fill up four 8-oz jars

4 cups 1-inch pieces fresh rhubarb (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2-pint basket raspberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

combine rhubarb pieces, sugar and fresh lemon juice in heavy large dutch oven. cover and refrigerate until juices form, stirring
occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight.

bring rhubarb mixture to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. increase heat to high and boil until rhubarb mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. add raspberries and boil until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes longer. remove jam from heat. stir in ground cardamom. cool jam completely.

(i boiled my jars in hot water and filled them up with the hot jam, then turned them over for 5 minutes, then boiled them for ten more minutes—right side up—to get a better seal so that my jam will last longer)