Raspberry Peach Jam

My son takes a cream cheese and jam sandwich to school for lunch most days, so we go through jam at a pretty good rate at our house.  This batch used up the last of our frozen peaches from last year, just in time for the new crop that will start coming in in a few weeks, plus some of the wealth of raspberries our bushes are producing.  The end product is a lovely color, and delicious.

If you use an immersion blender for a more uniform consistency, you do not need to skin the peaches. If you plan to leave the jam chunky, I recommend skinning them first.  If you don't like seeds in your jam, you'll want to use the blender and then press the jam through a sieve to remove the raspberry seeds.  Personally, I don't mind the seeds and I skip this step (which is kind of a pain).

I would recommend using pectin in this, as both raspberries and peaches are very juicy and not high in pectin themselves.  Alternatively, you simmer it for a really long time and end up with less of the final product.  If using pectin, follow the instructions on the package for how much to use per unit of fruit and when and how to add it.

8 cups sliced peaches (thawed if frozen)

4 cups raspberries (thawed if frozen)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)

Pectin per package directions

Combine the peaches and raspberries in a Dutch oven or other large pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked through.  Use an immersion blender to puree the fruit.  Stir in the sugar (combined with the pectin if that's what your pectin instructions call for; otherwise stir the pectin in afterward). Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat.

This recipe is suitable for canning, processing 1/2-pint jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.  Otherwise, refrigerate or freeze.

Makes 9-10 half-pints (less if you opt to simmer instead of using pectin to thicken).

Sweet and Savory Tomato Jam

Try this on sandwiches, as a condiment for pork, or with some soft cheese. This makes a small batch, but feel free to multiply it.

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved if large)
1 tsp calcium water (comes with Pomona's)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp Pomona's Universal Pectin

Combine the tomatoes, calcium water, salt, lemon juice, and sage in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, mashing the tomatoes as they soften. Simmer for 10 minutes or so. If desired, partially puree the mixture.

Combine the sugar and pectin in a small bowl, then stir into the tomato mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring as you go, then remove from heat. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Makes about 1 cup.

Variations: 1) Instead of sage, add 1/4-1/2 tsp grated ginger root. 2) instead of or in addition to sage, add a couple bruised whole garlic cloves while the jam simmers; remove before pureeing or adding the sugar and pectin.

Vanilla Peach Jam

I've been freezing and drying peaches over the last week, and also made some jam (by special request from my four-year-old). I have made Ginger Peach Jam in the past but decided to try something a little different this time around. The vanilla flavor adds a lovely note to the peach.

You can make this with pectin or without. When I use pectin, I use Pomona's Universal Pectin. If you do this, follow the directions about how to add it (at the end, mixed in with the sugar).

6 cups sliced peaches (skin on is fine, ok to use frozen)
1 pod vanilla beans or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
Up to 1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)

If you're using frozen peaches, thaw them first.

Combine the peaches and vanilla pod or extract in a Dutch oven and simmer until peaches are very soft, stirring occasionally. Mash the peaches as you go. Remove the vanilla pod at the end. If desired, use an immersion blender to make the jam smoother, or skip it for a chunkier consistency. Stir in the sugar and simmer for a few minutes. Add lemon juice if desired (for flavor; even if canning it's not required). If you are not using pectin, you may wish to simmer the jam longer to thicken it further.

Can the jam, freeze, or refrigerate. (If you choose to freeze it, make sure there is plenty of headroom. If using glass jars, do not seal until frozen.)

Makes about 4 cups.

Peaches - Freezing, Drying, and Canning Jam

Saturday afternoon I picked up two pecks of peaches (that's about 16 quarts) from Clarkdale - where they are selling "orchard run" peaches for $25 for two pecks (or $15 for one). Orchard run fruit has been picked but not separated into first and second quality - generally a good deal for putting up. The quality of the two pecks I bought was great; all the peaches were ripe and most were in very good shape. I spent the rest of the weekend drying, freezing, baking, and making jam.

Freezing Peaches
Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Slice each half into four to six pieces. For best results, tray freeze the slices before packaging: arrange on trays, individual pieces separate from each other, and freeze for 6-8 hours. Then package in freezer bags (I do 1 lb of frozen slices per quart bag). If you don't have the time or patience to tray freeze, it's also ok to just dump all the slices into freezer bags and freeze that way. They will stick together in a giant clump, but if you plan to thaw before using, that's not a huge problem.

Drying Peaches
To dry peaches in a dehydrator, cut them in half and remove the pits. No need to peel unless desired. Then slice about 1/4-inch thick - a mandoline is great for this but a knife works, too. Instead of wedges, cut pieces of even thickness from the inside of a half to the outside. Spread slices on the dehydrator trays and dry for 9-12 hours. Check after 9 hours and remove any pieces that are completely dry; rotate the trays as well. Check every hour after 9 hours and remote dry pieces.

Using a mandoline to slice peaches into the dehydrator

Jam
Here's my recipe for Ginger Peach Jam. You can make this with fresh or frozen peaches. Skip the lemon juice if you like. You can also substitute ground ginger for the fresh.

Ginger Peach Jam

Since I didn't have time to make jam when the fruit was in season, I am doing it now with frozen fruit. Works just fine. Two well stuffed quart-sized freezer bags is about 6 cups.

6 cups frozen sliced peaches (skin on is fine)
1-3 tsp grated ginger root
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Thaw the peaches (on the counter, in the fridge, or in the microwave). Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven and simmer until consistency is jammy, about 45-60 minutes, stirring frequently. Mash the peaches as you go. If desired, use an immersion blender at the end (I didn't bother).

Can the jam, freeze, or refrigerate. (If you choose to freeze it, make sure there is plenty of headroom. If using glass jars, do not seal until frozen.)

Makes about 4 cups.

Awash in Strawberries

Saturday we went to Upinngil Farm and picked strawberries, which was lots of fun. We picked roughly 10 quarts, for which we paid $20. Quite a savings, considering that pints were going for $3.50 apiece at the farmers market the same day. The farm is beautiful, too, and Nate enjoyed getting a close look at the cows.

So what did I do with all those strawberries? Well, we saved out some to eat over the next few days, of course, but I also made strawberry shortcake and strawberry rhubarb jam. The rest (about 13 pints) went into the freezer after washing and hulling. I canned the five pints of jam--canning jam is easy because the fruit is has plenty of acid and the jars only need to boil for five minutes--so we can eat it at our leisure or give it away as gifts. You can also freeze jam if you don't want to bother with canning, but then it's not as suitable for giving away.

A friend asked me last night what we would do with all the frozen strawberries. There are lots of options. Quite a few will probably go into smoothies. They will also present some nice brunch possibilities, thawed and warmed or even cooked into sauce for pancakes or crepes. I could always make more jam later, too. Or they might go into homemade sorbet, which I like because it doesn't require an ice cream maker (puree the fruit with some yogurt or simple syrup and serve immediately, or freeze again, then put the frozen product through a food processor again before serving). And, of course, there are plenty of pie/crisp/cobbler options, perhaps in combination with other fruits as they come into season, or else combined with other frozen fruits later in the winter. Another friend suggested strawberry ice cream, which would be a great idea if I had an ice cream maker.