I’ve been making lots of jam this week, and I ended up with some extra ingredients… time for a kitchen experiment. I’ve been dreaming of cardamom lately, which inspired the spiced peach jam concoction below. It was spicy and bright and delicious on toast, so of course I’m sharing the how-to:
Spiced Peach Jam
Yield: about 5 4oz. jelly jars
1 quart diced fruit*
2.5 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. sparkling wine
6 cardamom pods, split, seeded, seeds crushed fine
First:
Before you start, wash your jars, bands, and lids. I sterilize them by setting them on a rack in a 300 degree oven until I need them. Soak the lids in a small pan of gently simmering water until ready to use. Bring your canning pot to a boil.
Then:
Toss everything into a big, wide pot, and cook it over medium low heat, stirring frequently and smooshing the fruit. It will come to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and continue to cook until the texture is thick and jammy, continuing to stir to avoid scorching.
Canning:
Transfer hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel. Set down lids and screw on the bands. Process the jars in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes. They should seal shortly after being removed from the canner with an adorable little pop (or have already sealed up in the canner), but you might have to wait a while for a full seal.**
Alternately, you can freeze the jam in clean, sterilized jars with freezer safe lids, or store the jam in the fridge.
*I used nearly 7/8th peaches, then a hunk of mango I had left over, and 1 Macintosh apple.
**I am not a certified preserving anything, this is just my method.
Now this is the type of experiment that I can really get behind!
Nice work!
Next time I’m in your neck of the woods, I’ll tip in preserves
I need to start making my own jam — the vanilla experiment is going well, but jam just looks like fun to make.
I don’t blog about the epic fails, but yes, on the whole, it’s way fun!
You know what would be MORE fun?
Me showing up on your doorstep with fresh bread right now.
‘Tis the season for a girl to dream, no?
XO
That would be AMAZING.
Dear Santa…
I LOVE impromptu experiments in the kitchen. I haven’t made jam in a long, long time (I’m a messy cook as it is and I don’t have much room in my kitchen at the moment.) Next year I plan on returning to some of the basics: a victory garden, a couple egg-laying hens, and lots of homemade bread. I may have to add your recipe to my 2013 plans.
Sounds perfect for a slice of “from scratch” French Toast!
I so want hens! My town has all kinds of prohibitive zoning laws and health codes against them, which sucks. But I can make jam!
You know, I still have the lemon jam you posted about last year (?) on my list of Someday Projects. Looks like that list just got one item longer!
The honey-lemon jam is so easy! Seriously, like no time and easy! If you do 4 oz jars you don’t even need a canner, just a pasta pot!
I knowwww. Maybe for Christmas Prep Weekend….