We Be Jammin'

I always love going to the farmer’s market. You never know what surprises await you.  Last weekend, we made a quick stop for a watermelon and found some great deals. Like these beauties…

I got 2.5 pounds of peaches for $2! That’s a steal even at the peak of the season, and way better than any price you’ll see in the grocery store for a few more weeks.

So these lovely peaches have been sitting on my dining room table since then, tempting me with their sweet fragrance every time I’m near.  I wanted to dive into them, but I knew I wanted to do something more than just devour them. And then today it hit me….Peach Jam! Now if you’ve never made jams or jellies before, let me just tell you how crazy simple it is. Basically, you chop some fruit, add some sugar, and cook it for a while. If I have an overabundance of fruit, then I’ll also do some canning. But for today, we’re only making a couple of cups which we can easily keep in the fridge. Small family and don’t need this much? You can either split it in half, or even better give a jar (or Tupperware or whatever container you happen to have lying around) to a friend. I guarantee it’ll make their day! Who doesn’t love receiving a gift for no reason? And even more that it’s freshly made jam? Congratulations, you are now someone’s hero! :)

Don't let the color fool in the pic fool you. This is beautiful bright orange. I'm working with a 2 year old camera phone here.

Peach Jam
 

6-8  peaches, peeled and pitted (Want to know the ‘proper’ way to peel a peach? Check this out.)

1 cup sugar 

Place a glass plate in the freezer.  Chop the peaches. I like my jam a little on the chunky side. If you like it smoother, do a finer chop.  Place peaches and sugar in a saucepan and cook on medium heat. Stir frequently until a candy thermometer reaches 225 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries, you’ll just need to be a little more watchful. After about 15 minutes, start testing the jam to see if it’s done. Place a tiny amount on the plate that you placed in the freezer earlier. Let it sit for a minute and then run your finger through it. If it immediately comes back together, you need to keep cooking. If you leave a trail, it’s done.  Carefully ladle jam into glass jars or let it cool a bit and then put it in Tupperware. Store jam in the fridge.  I can’t give a definite time frame, but it should keep for quite a while. 

 

That’s it-you did it! You’ve made jam! How easy was that? Maybe next time we’ll tackle canning. ;)

Guess what else I did today?!

 I made this fantastic bread!

It’ll go perfect with the jam you just made.  It’s a great recipe for beginners to start with. I’ve made a lot of bread, but this is definitely one of my favorites! Check out the recipe here.  So go ahead, get that bread going, and while you’re waiting for it to rise, bust out some jam. They’re both so easy and you’ll feel like a kitchen superstar!