Honey-Peach Jam

A couple of interesting things have happened since last jam-making season…

One, my husband gave up white sugar (go him!) and dragged my unrepentant sweet tooth along with him (jerk! … I mean, thank you, honey, I really needed that loving boot to the fanny).

So, early this summer, just as the local strawberries were making themselves known, I was in a bit of a quandary. I could knock myself out making jam that my husband would not eat–and, let’s be honest, that I shouldn’t be eating myself, OR feeding to my kids–or I could try to figure out how to make jam with local honey or some other natural sweetener.

Then the solution hit me. No, I mean it literally Fell On My Head while I was searching for GMO-free chocolate chips in my local grocery store. (No small feat, let me tell you! But you can get some here. 😉 )

Pomona’s Universal Pectin.  (Get it here.)

Besides the fact that I have been harboring doubts about the pectin I had been using (this is the second thing; though, to be quite honest, I wasn’t planning on tackling it this year), Pomona’s Pectin was all about low-sugar, and using honey or other natural sweeteners.

Ah-ha!

My first batch of strawberry jam was amazing. Jam where you can actually taste the fruit?!? Count me in!

 

I was so excited that I bought the accompanying book, Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin, and immediately started fiddling with the recipes.

(Have I mentioned that I’m not much of a direction-follower?)

 The Honey-Peach Jam was something of an accident.

I needed more honey to make a blueberry-peach jam (I haven’t done that yet) and stopped by my favorite honey vendor (you can check out their Facebook page here) at the Public Market. Naturally, my kids–okay, I did too–wanted to taste the honey samples. And, as I was savoring some of the lovely dark, rich Summer-Fall Blossom honey, I thought, “Wouldn’t this be delightful with peaches…”

So that’s what I did.

And it was.

 

 

You already know how to make jam, right? So I don’t need to tell you about setting up the canner and getting the jars and lids ready and all that, right? Well here’s a quick refresher course (or first-time instructions)… plus a quick tutorial on using Pomona’s Pectin, which is a little different from the “regular” pectin, but easy enough. I promise.

Honey-Peach Jam

This is modified from the Simple Classics: Peach Preserves in the book. (So I guess it’s not jam at all, but preserves… Though I have to admit that the technical differences between jam and preserves don’t interest me. Can I spread it on toast? That’s what interests me.)

What you need:

About 3 pounds peaches

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 1/2 tsp calcium water — don’t worry; this is explained in the “refresher course” above, and in the package directions. Plus, the calcium for the calcium water comes with the pectin

3/4 c Summer-Fall Blossom honey (I’m sure any raw honey would do, but it might not be quite so amazing!)

2 1/2 tsp Pomona’s Universal Pectin (get it here)

Pit, peel, and cut up the peaches.

Combine peaches and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 3-5 minutes. (You’re looking for 4 cups when you’re done. You can measure if you like; I didn’t.)

Add calcium water and lemon juice. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, measure out honey and add pectin. Mix well. This takes a minute or two, but the pectin should completely dissolve into the honey.

Bring peach mixture to a full boil. Slowly add honey-pectin mixture, stirring constantly. Stir vigorously 1-2 minutes until the honey-pectin mixture is completely incorporated.

Return to a boil.

Take the mixture off the heat, place in jars, and can properly in a water bath canner. (Do I need to tell you not to “can” this with wax? I didn’t thinks so.)

This jam is quite delightful on toast.

I hope you enjoy it!

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This post was shared with Hearth & Soul, the Backyard Farming Connection, and Tuesdays with a Twist. And Green Thumb Thursday, the HomeAcre Hop, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, and Fabulously Frugal Thursday.

And Savoring Saturdays, Simply Natural Saturday, the Homestead Barn Hop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Mostly Homemade Mondays, Nomday Monday, and Natural Living Monday. And Tasty Tuesday at HBN, Fat Tuesday, the Gathering Spot, VMG206, In and Out of the Kitchen, Tasty Tuesday, and Naturally Sweet Tuesday.

This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at Holistic Squid!