Spiced Ginger Peach Jam
Home canning is something I enjoy doing, and I find that people love home made jam as a hostess or Christmas gifts. This jam has a lovely background of ginger, with a spice mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. This is delicious with homemade scones, over ice cream or even brushed onto the bottom of a pie crust, before adding fresh peaches.
Servings 2 quarts
Equipment
- Large bowl of ice with water (for blanching the peaches)
- Canning kit: includes pot with lid, canning rack, funnel, tongs, Canning jars, bands and lids, washed and sanitized (I set them in the water canning pot, while the water is coming to a boil, remove with tongs and set on a baking sheet with a towel
Ingredients
- 8 cups freestone)peaches pitted peeled (about 11 tennis ball sized)
- 1 small lemon zested and set aside (you'll be using the juice and zest)
- Juice of one small lemon
- 1 box of pectin* I use Sure-Jell
- 7 cups sugar if using low sugar pectin, decreate sugar to 3-4 cups (per box instructions)
- 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger root freshly grated (I keep ginger root frozen)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves optional, as it can be overpowering
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 Tbsp vanilla optional
Instructions
For the peaches:
- Wash the fruit and bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a paring knife, cut a small "x" on the bottom of each peach (I also cut an "x" on the top of each peach). When the water is boiling, gently place the peaches in the pot and cook for 2 minutes, max.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the peaches into an ice water bath and allow to sit for a few minutes. Using a paring knife (I use my fingers), pull on the skin at an "x" and the peels should come right off.
- If adding the ginger and spices, prep those and set aside.
For the jam:
- Mash (or use the pulse feature on a food processor) the peeled peaches, to yield 8 cups.
- Add the prepared fruit into a large pot, and add the sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, and slowly add the pectin.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger and spices (if using) and vanilla (or vanilla bean seeds).
- Allow the jam to come to a rolling boil, can take about 10 minutes. TIP: I know when the jam has thickened enough when it coats the back of a spoon. I like to freeze a few spoons, to better test this theory.
- Once the jam is thick, turn off the heat. Carefully spoon the jam into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4" head space. Add a lid and band and tighten-- but don't over tighten.
- I like to water can the filled jars, by placing them into a canning rack, and bring to a boil for about ten minutes. Remove, carefully, with tongs onto a baking sheet with a fresh towel.
- Listen for the "ping" as each can self-seals.
- Enjoy this jam with fresh scones or homemade bread. Delicious!
Notes
Pomona Universal Pectin can be used, which requires less or no sugar
If using Pomona Pectin, sugar can be decreased to 3-4 cups
If using Pomona Pectin, sugar can be decreased to 3-4 cups