Peach Jam

I have a peach tree in my yard that had one of the best fruit seasons this summer. That also meant that no matter how many peaches I gave away, there were still too many to know wat to do with. I figured I would dabble in canning and making peach jam. Though it can be a time consuming process, it's actually easy to do.

Recipe adapted from Natasha's Kitchen

1 pounds of peaches
4 cups white sugar

1 lemon, juiced

Equipment:

5-6 pint sized jars (can be canning jars, old cleaned jam jars, pasta jars, etc... as long as the lids are cleaned and do not carry an aroma from their previous purpose)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once at a rolling boil, boil the peaches for 45 seconds and then plunge them in to a bowl of cold water. Do this in batches if needed. Pell the skin, cut peaches in to quarters and remove the pits.

In another large pot, add your prepared peached, along with the lemon juice and sugar. If your peaches are very sweet, you may not want as much sugar and can reduce by half a cup. Mix everything together so all the peaches are covered in sugar. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring the pot of peaches to a boil, stirring regularly to avoid scorching the peaches. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Continue to stir regularly. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, until the jam reaches your preferred consistency. It should stick to the back of a spoon when removed from the pot and turned sideways. The jam will thicken as it cools. Check the consistency once it has cooled. If you want it thicker, boil another 10 minutes. Place in sterilized jars and seal (see directions below).

To sterilize your jars and lids, place them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, hen remove and allow them to dry completely.

Transfer the jam (can be boiling hot) to the jars. I pour it in to a measuring cup and transfer it that way. When filling the jars, leave 1/2" of space at the top of the jar for the sealing process. Screw on the lids tightly, but not too tight as air will need to escape the jars.

Bring a pot of water to boil, with enough water in the pot to cover the jars with 1"of water. Boil the prepared jars for 15 minutes, then gently remove them and allow the jars to sit at room temperate for 12-24 hours. The jars may make a popping sound when sealing. After 12-24 hours, your jars should be sealed. Press the center of the jar. It should not give way. If the seal did not form, keep jam refrigerated and use within 3 months.

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