Vanilla Bean Peach Jam

     It's been at least a couple of days since I shared something peachy keen with you, so I figured it was high time I talk about peaches again.  I mean they are perfectly sweet and wonderful still.  There are still Illinois peaches in the store and things are looking and smelling too sweet to stay away.  I think between all of the peaches and blueberries we've eaten lately, we might be dangerously close to turning into a fruit salad.  Oh well, it seems like there might be worse fates!


     This jam is basically a riff on the Peach Vanilla Sauce I shared last week. If you add a bit more sugar and hit it with an immersion blender it thickens up to a nice consistency for spreading on a piece of delicious toast.  If you want the best of both worlds, you can melt some of this down with a little bit of maple syrup and have a really nice topping for your pancakes.  Of course this can be warmed and served over ice cream too.  Or spread over a flaky buttery biscuit. I mean really, the delicious possibilities are endless!

      I shared a great tip to determining if your jam has cooked long enough on last year's post for Peach Habanero Jelly. In case you forgot, it is really easy! Place a small plate in the refrigerator before you start making your jam.  Once you think your jam is the right consistency, put a small drop on the plate and return it to the fridge.  Take it out just a minute or so later and see if it firmed up enough for your liking.  If it is still too loose, cook the mixture a bit longer.  If it gelled up nicely, you're done!

     On a completely unrelated note, is anybody else completely into the swimming this year?  We don't watch a ton of TV normally.  Just a kiddie video or two in the morning and another one before bedtime for little dude.  Sometimes I don't even turn the TV back on after he goes to bed.  That is usually my blogging time.  But now it is a race back down the stairs to make sure I don't miss anything.  So much drama. So much intrigue. Such great back stories. Even Jax is getting into it.  He adds his "go America" and "USA, USA!" to the mix.  It's pretty adorable if you ask me.

Printable Recipe

Vanilla Bean Peach Jam

makes about 3 pints

Ingredients:

1 lb pitted and peeled peaches

2 T lemon juice

2 cups sugar

1 T vanilla bean paste (extract would be fine too)

1. Place peaches, lemon juice and sugar in a heavy bottomed  sauce pan and allow to sit for an hour.  I used an immersion blender to break down the peaches later in the process.  If you don't have one, finely chop your peaches before you add them to the pot.
2. Turn heat to medium low and bring to a slow boil.  Stir occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking.  The mixture will be really foamy.  Keep at a low boil, stirring frequently for 15 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender to make the mixture as smooth as you would like.
4. Check the consistency of your jelly by dropping a small drop on a plate and sticking it in the fridge for a minute.  If it is still runny, continue to boil until you get your desired consistency.
5. Once the jam is thickened to your liking, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6. Ladle into clean jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month or the freezer for 6 months.

Did you ever wonder why there is almost always lemon in jelly and jam recipes?  Here's why!