For a few years now I have been saying, “wouldn’t it be nice to learn how to make preserves?”. Well I am finally trying it out. I collected a few recipes out of the Miramichi, New Brunwick newspaper and called up Grandma for some tips and recipes. I am now ready to rock! For my first canning/jarring attempt I will try peach Jam. My sister came over the other week with a bag of delicious peaches off her tree in Kamloops. They are smelling quite ripe so it’s time to do something with them before I become a fruit fly breeder.

This recipe is from Grandma Beck. She read it off quickly over the phone so I will have to do my best to mimic what she told me.

Things you will need…

A grandma willing to give up her peach jam recipe

10 Peaches that are ripe

3 Medium Lemons

2 Whole Cloves

3 Cups Sugar

1 pkg. No Sugar Added Pectin

1 Pinch All-Spice

1 Square Cheese Cloth (Grandma an I couldn’t remember what this was called so spent half of our conversation trying to guess and describing it to each other, mesh, cloth, porous, white, put stuff in, tie it up, thingy)

1 Pot

1 Canning Pot with Rack,

Tongs, magnet lid grabber, wide mouth funnel

8 Jars with 1 cup volume

 

How to make Peach Jam

Step 1: Cheese Cloth Stuff

Peel lemon rinds off of all the lemons. Place the rinds and cloves in the cheese cloth.

 Not too pretty, but there it is.

Step 2: Peaches & Lemon Juice

Peel and chop the peaches. Add them to a pot.

Tip: Soak the peaches in hot water to loosen the skin. It comes right off with your fingers once soaked in hot water (tip from Gran). 

Squeeze the lemon juice from all 3 lemons into the pot with the peaches.

Tip: It’s easy to juice a lemon if you stick a fork in it while squeezing and rotate the fork (random tip from old roomy Derrick).

 Here is what we have so far. I took the picture with the cheese cloth in the pot, but that was just for your viewing pleasure and you will see why at step 3.

Step 3: Mash and Cook

Mash the peaches and lemon juice until the peaches are only slightly chunky THEN add the cheese cloth sack.

Now you see why we weren’t ready for cheese cloth just yet!

Warm the pot on the stove without letting the jam come to a boil for 20 minutes.

While the jam is warming you should clean and dry you jars, lids, and rings (or whatever those things you use to tighten the lids are called). Your jars need to be free of any residue or contamination so do a good job. 

Boil a kettle of water at this point for your lids to soak in before sealing. Fill a hot CLEAN sink full of hot water and put all of your jars in it. Fill your Canning Pot half way and simmer the water. 

Step 4: Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice?

Ok! This is where sh*t gets crazy and you have to move so quick you don’t have time to take photos.

Add the all-spice, sugar, and pectin. Bring to a quick boil for 1 minute and take off heat. Get ready for canning!

Fill a bowl with your lids and pour the boiling water from the kettle over the lids.

Take your clean and sterile jars and fill with peach jam using the funnel up to about 1 cm from the top of the jar. Wipe the top of the jars with a damp clean cloth to make sure there is no jam between the lid and the rim. Place the lids on the jars using the lid magnet. Lightly tighten the rings on the jars (not like you are trying to tighten a spare tire on your beater car). Put the jars of jam into the Canning Pot with simmering water. Submerge the canning rack so the water is a couple inches over the jars. Add more water if needed. Bring the Canning Pot to a boil and place the lid on the pot. Boil the jars for 15 minutes (depending on your elevation and some other science stuff).

Remove the jars of jam from the Canning Pot with tongs and place on a towel for cooling. Let the jars cool for at least 12 hours. As they cool the jam will thicken.

You are done! Enjoy your peach jam!