Ginger Peach Jam

I have two fun announcements today!

First of all, I am now the proud owner of my very own web address.  I am officially “fromscratchblog.com”!  This shouldn’t affect you, my readers, at all, but if you notice a problem picking up my RSS feeds that could be why.

Secondly, this week we are having a Peach Party!  My mother-in-law has a peach tree in her yard and this year it has produced fruit in a big way.  We are the happy recipients of a LOT of peaches, so this week I will be celebrating all the different ways I use them up.  Hopefully you will find some inspiration too.

This summer I have begun dabbling in canning and preserving.  So far I have made strawberry jam, Chinese plum sauce, and now ginger peach jam.  I have to say it’s pretty fun preserving perfectly ripe foods to enjoy in the “off-season”!

This jam is delicious!  The ripe peach flavor is the star, with just a hint of ginger to spice it up.  I do wish I had diced the peaches into smaller chunks, but otherwise it is perfect.  Not only is the jam good as a spread, but I think it will make a wonderful topping for vanilla ice cream or waffles.  And I can’t wait to try stirring it into Greek yogurt!

Tonight I had a some leftover puff pastry scraps.  I used a little of this jam to make peach turnovers – quite tasty!

Here is the recipe. It’s from the book Put ‘em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton. If you have never canned before, PLEASE find a reliable source detailing the steps for proper and safe canning before attempting this recipe.

Ginger Peach Jam

Print Recipe

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon Pomona’s Universal Pectin (I found it at Whole Foods)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
• 4 pounds peaches
• 1 – 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger (I used 1 T. for a subtle ginger flavor)
• 1 tablespoon calcium water (included in the Pomona box)

Combine the sugar and pectin in a small bowl and set aside.  Combine the water and lemon juice in a large nonreactive pot.

Bring another large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl.  Using only a few peaches at a time, blanch them in the boiling water for 30 seconds.  Scoop the peaches out of the water and place them in the ice-water bath.  Repeat with the remaining peaches.

Drain the peaches from the ice water.  Peel, pit, and dice the peaches.  Add the diced peaches to the lemon water as you work.

Bring the peach mixture to a boil.  Add the ginger and simmer for 5 minutes.  Lightly mash about one-quarter of the mixture.  Slowly stir in the sugar-pectin mixture and return to a boil.  Add the calcium water, stirring well, and remove from the heat.

At this point, the jam can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks if you do not wish to can it.

To can, ladle the jam into clean, hot half-pint canning jars (I filled 6 but had enough jam to fill 8), leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.  Release trapped air.  Wipe the rims clean, then center the lids on the jars and screw on the jar bands.  Process for 10 minutes (you may need to adjust this time at higher altitudes – again, find a reliable source for detailed canning instructions).  Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.  Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours.  Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.