Musical pairing – Black Horse And The Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall
I could tell you that I’ve made both cooked jam and freezer jam . . . I could also tell you that I prefer freezer jam because somehow, it tastes fresher (at least to moi) . . . or I can tell you that I’ve had a change of heart towards cooked jams . . . or maybe a change of tastebuds, I’m not sure. But what I will tell you is that this recipe right here . . . this White Cherry & Peach Jam . . . rocked my world . . . oh yes it did . . .
The heavens opened and the stars lined up when I came across this recipe last fall and in that one kismet moment, I knew I’d found jam nirvana. I could hardly contain myself until spring when I knew I’d be ordering the book; since its arrival, the book has spent the last month on the kitchen table . . . open . . . I’ve flipped through the pages at least every other day, giddy with excitement over the combinations of fruits and/or herbs.
When I think back on my days at the little house on Ankeny street, I vaguely remember my mother making cooked jam that was sealed in jars with paraffin – strawberry I think . . . and maybe some grape jelly. I also remember being fascinated by that thick layer of paraffin and how you took a butter knife around the edge of the jar to break the seal . . . sometimes, at the very last minute, that chunk of paraffin would flip . . . right onto the front of your jammies, rolling all the way down to the floor leaving a trail of strawberry evidence behind. And how sometimes, little teeny bits of paraffin would be left on the very top of the jam to be scraped off with the edge of a spoon or the tines of a fork.
My auntie Velma (who doesn’t like her name and always wanted to be called auntie Toni . . . but that’s another story for another time . . .) taught me how to make freezer jams when I was a teenager – minimally cooked and placed into freezer-safe containers, then stored in said freezer for the winter; and for the longest time, these were my favorite kinds of jams to make. It was quite exciting – having all that wonderful sugary goodness stored in the house. There was something comforting about knowing rows of jam were lined up on shelves in the basement . . . waiting to be ushered into the kitchen and made into sandwiches, spread on morning toast, swirled into oatmeal or drizzled over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
This Peach & White Cherry Jam is one of those combos where you say to yourself, ‘why didn’t I think of that?!’ Make sure you purchase the freshest peaches and cherries you can get your hands on and don’t substitute vanilla extract for vanilla bean – that one-inch piece brings the entire jam together in a glorious symphony! The color is a sight to behold and the taste is nothing short of sublime . . . I think it would be perfect layered between slices of pound cake or drizzled over ice cream . . . but I will tell you this: the jam is simply glorious on a slice of morning toast or fluffy sky-high biscuit!
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WHITE CHERRY & PEACH JAM
Blue Chair Jam Book
Makes 6, 8-ounce Jars
INGREDIENTS:
- 2-1/2 pounds peeled yellow peaches
- 2-1/2 pounds pitted Rainier or other white cherries
- 2 pounds 2 ounces white cane sugar
- 5 ounces strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Several drops of pure almond extract
- Several drops of maraschino liqueur*
- 1 (1-inch) piece vanilla bean, split
METHOD:
- Place a saucer with five metal teaspoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later; this is one of the best methods for determining the perfect jam consistency so don’t skip this step!
- Place a cutting board on a rimmed baking sheet or sheet pan. Put the peaches on the board and using a paring knife, cut enough flesh off the pits to make 2 pounds of prepared fruit. You should end up with pieces of all different shapes and sizes. When you are finished, discard the peach pits.
- Place the peach pieces and their collected juices from the baking sheet with the cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl, stirring well to combine. Add a few drops each of almond extract and maraschino. Taste, add a drop or two more of the flavorings if necessary and add the vanilla bean. Transfer the mixture to an 11- or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive kettle.
- Place the jam mixture over high heat and bring it to a boil, stirring every couple of minutes or so. Continue to cook, monitoring the heat closely, until the jam thickens, 25 to 30 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan often with your spatula and decrease the heat gradually as more and more moisture cooks out of the jam. For the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, stir the jam slowly and steadily to keep it from scorching. Skim any still foam from the surface of the jam as it cooks and discard.
- When the jam has thickened and appears glossy, test it for doneness. To test, carefully transfer a small representative half-spoonful of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Replace the spoon in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold; if still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs; if it is reluctant to run and if it has thickened to a gloppy consistency, it is done. If it runs very quickly or appears watery, cook it for another few minutes, stirring and test again as needed. While you are waiting for the jam in the freezer to cool, skim off any white foam that appears on the surface of the jam in the pan.
- When the jam is ready, pour it into sterilized jars and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
*NOTE: This is NOT the liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries, it is a liqueur; a little spendy and since I had not made this recipe before, I omitted it and added a few extra drops of pure vanilla extract – the jam is still fantastic!!
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The combination of tastes from the peaches, cherries, almond extract, and vanilla is wonderful.
Sounds and looks like a delicious combo.
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I was just looking for some peach jam recipes and saw this one. I’m very excited because I have cherries in the fridge as well! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Isn’t it funny…. I used to watch my mother-in-law make jams every summer and loved watching, loved watching her seal them up and stack the jars in the basement. I even think the idea of homemade jam was often better than the jam itself. I still have never made jam…. oh maybe once I have. And I’ll try freezer jam when I finally get a freezer! I love the idea of peach and cherry!
Yum! This jam sounds divine… What a lovely combination of flavors!
Could this be more beautiful?? I don’t think so. The photos and the food…it’s all gorgeous! Lovely, and can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Oh I love cherries and these white ones are just so gorgeous! I can believe the jam would be just divine!
I really need to start canning – never have. This jam is beautiful & we are in love with both the red & white cherries. Peach too!
I bet that is beyond delicious! And the pictures…..gorgeous!!!
Oh my, what a gorgeous jam – I wish you lived next door! I haven’t made my own jam in years, but you’ve just inspired me to bring out my canning pots again and give it a try.
That is a LOT of cherries to pit, but it looks like it’s definitely worth the effort. The combination sounds incredible.
I just made some apricot jam that rocked my world! This sounds fabulous! LOVE the photos too!
The cherries are beautiful! What a fabulous flavor too! P.S. we went to Vinto the other night and thought of you guys! Miss you!
I wish that I could remeber someone in my family making jam but I don’t. I remember canning veggies, churning butter but not jam. Maybe that’s why I don’t crave jam much? This however may be my ah-ha momoent as well. Love this combo and I can’t wait to give it a try 🙂
Those pictures, Deb…. Amazing. I want to frame them all!
This looks so delicious and refreshing. Love the combo of flavors.
Peaches and cherries. That makes me smile. GREG
I love homemade jam!! The colors are fantastic, the combination is wonderful and i’d love to have my jar NOW! 🙂
Oh, this looks so delicious! I have really never made jam before, but this recipe makes me want to try. And, yes, the color is gorgeous too!
Deb, this looks absolutely beautiful. And I loved the post!! I always learn so much about you through your recipes 🙂
This is such a wonderful seasonal pairing… a mixture of two of my favorite fruits in one delicious jam. Beautiful, darling!
Oh how gorgeous! I can just taste it on a biscuit. YUM!
peach jam is one of my favorites and with the cherries added in, forget about it! This recipe is in the list! Beautiful cherry photo.
I love to make jam! In fact, I just made an Amaretto Peach and LOVED it. I can imagine the taste of this with the cherries.
I loved this post. Took me back to when I was I a little girl checking out all the canned goods in my grandmother’s basement. .Good memories!
What a gorgeous color! I adore both peaches and cherries (especially Raniers!), and I can just taste this now. Mmmm….
Two of my favorite flavors combined – this looks just delicious.
Beautiful pics… and awesome recipe!! I would love to make this, then open it up on a cold winters day. 🙂
OMGoodness Ranier sunshine this morning. I rarely get the rainier but what a briliant combination with the peaches. & amen sister, freshest!! 🙂 BTW must be telepathy guess with what fruit I baked last night? I so need the cherry pitter though! Gorgeous post!
Good lord, why have I never thought of this combination of fruit in a jam? My mouth is watering. All I need is a biscuit and a couple of spoonfuls of this jam and I’d be happy. Until lunch. Then I’d have some more with ice cream for dessert. Have mercy!
Your jam really is the most beautiful color! It looks absolutely divine. That book is going on my list. I’m going to try my hand at peach jam this summer too, then it’s time for blackberry in September!
The name alone of this jam makes me stomach growl. I just made a beautiful batch of big white rolls that would pair perfectly with this jam. Thank you for making me smile…I loved hearing about the memories associated with the process of jamming.
Love this post. This jam sounds amazing! I bought this book but haven’t tried any recipes yet. Now I feel inspired!
I have never made my own jam and really wish they sold this in stores. What a delicious combo!
Laaaawd stop it! Looks amazing. I need to shovel some into my face, pronto.