And the peach madness continues around here... there is such a bounty and a bit of a race to preserve the fruit at the peak of its ripeness. So today I devoted the day to make jam. Lots of jam; I have to say I couldn't have done it without my husband's help. We made about 30 pounds of peaches into jam. So there was a lot of washing, peeling, cutting and of course lots of dirty pots and pans to wash. But it was all worth it. There is so much satisfaction from growing our own food and sharing with the people we love. It is such a blessing.
I wish I could share with you some jam, but that will be a bit complicated. So I thought I'd share the recipe with you instead. This is a reduced or low sugar freezer jam.I don't like things that are overly sweet and my father-in-law is diabetic, so I'm always trying to find ways to cook with less sugar. This is my go to recipe for jam. It is a very easy to make and the best part is that you can store it in the freezer. Thus, you can skip the water bath processing.
Peach Jam
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
Ingredients
5 cups peeled and crushed peaches
1/3 cup lemon juice
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup low or no-sugar pectin
Freezer safe jars* (plastic or glass) thoroughly rinsed and dry.
* I like to use Ball Canning Jars, they work really well for storing food in the freezer*
Method:
1. In a pot over medium-high heat combine the peaches and lemon juice and bring to boil.
2. In a bowl combine sugar and pectin ans whisk to combine. Add sugar mixture to fruit and stir to combine. Allow to return to boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.
3. Fill jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Put lids on the jars and let jam cool and set at room temperature for about 3 hours. Label jars and store in the freezer.
-Jam can be stored for up to a year in the freezer. When ready to use thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Enjoy!
Freezer safe jars* (plastic or glass) thoroughly rinsed and dry.
* I like to use Ball Canning Jars, they work really well for storing food in the freezer*
Method:
1. In a pot over medium-high heat combine the peaches and lemon juice and bring to boil.
2. In a bowl combine sugar and pectin ans whisk to combine. Add sugar mixture to fruit and stir to combine. Allow to return to boil for 1 minute and remove from heat.
3. Fill jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Put lids on the jars and let jam cool and set at room temperature for about 3 hours. Label jars and store in the freezer.
-Jam can be stored for up to a year in the freezer. When ready to use thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Enjoy!
Martha.