WIP Wednesday: Peaches Loves Basil

"Oh Peaches, How I adore you!"
"Oh Basil, you make me blush!"

It sounds like a 1920's Love Affair. Peaches and Basil sitting in a tree....
But it isn't. It is this years Experimental Jam Recipe winner! (Yes, I ran my own personal jam contest. I'm eccentric that way.)

I met and schmoozed with a lovely farmer at farmer's market yesterday and got 12 pounds of jam peaches. Jam peaches are like jam strawberries. They are mostly good (the funky bits are easily trimmed away) and very ripe. They must be processed within the next 24 hours or they will quickly become overripe and then, almost instantaneously- compost. But they are the most reasonably priced locally grown organic produce I have ever found. These were a 1.00 a pound! And often they are not advertised or displayed... Hence, the schmoozing with the farmer.

I decided it was affordable enough to experiment with!

I made 2 types of jam in 2 Quart batches. (That is 2 quarts of pre-processed fruit, in case you were wondering.) One features a yummy vanilla, cinnamon style peach jam and the other is my favorite, peaches with lemon and basil infused.

Peach Pie Preserves:

• 2 quarts of peeled sliced peaches
• 5 Cups sugar
• juice from one lemon
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 vanilla bean opened and scraped
• plus vanilla seeds from pod

Cook peaches and 1/2 the sugar for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add remaining ingredients, mix and mash with a fruit or potato masher while boiling. Continue to stir increasingly as fruit cooks. When fruit starts to seem to adhere to pan bottom between stirrings, the jam is ready to can.

Peaches Loves Basil Jam

• 2 quarts of peeled sliced peaches
• 4 Cups sugar
• juice and zest from 2 lemons
• 8-10 fresh basil sprigs ( mine were 4-5 leaves per sprig)
• 3 fresh lemon balm sprigs

Cook peaches and 1/2 the sugar for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add remaining sugar and lemon, mix and mash with a fruit or potato masher while boiling. after another 5-10 minutes put in the herbs. I tied mine with a kitchen twine to make it easier to remove. For a more intense basil flavor I also rolled over mine with a rolling pin to slightly bruise the herbs. Continue to stir increasingly as fruit cooks. When fruit starts to seem to adhere to pan bottom between stirrings, the jam is ready to can. Pull out the herbs, and can as usual.

Basic Jam Canning:

• Sterilize jars by boiling for 10 minutes.
• Heat canning lids and rings but do not boil these.
• Put hot jam into hot jars.
• Wipe jar rims and place a lid and ring on each jars, tightening slightly.
• Process all finished jars in boiling water bath (2 inches of water should cover each jar) for a quick 5 minutes,
• remove with canning tongs and cool.

My 12 pounds of peaches yielded 13 1- cup jars of jam, plus enough extra peaches for a yummy peach and blackberry crisp.

I know.. You want to come over for dinner now.
Well, Okay. Come on Over Already!

Love your Peaches, Wanna Shake Your Tree,
Betty

PS: The Lovely and Talented Jen of the Austin Craft Mafia/Naughty Secretary Club/CraftLab mentioned that suitcase project in a really great round up she just blogged about. ( Um.. Now I need to make a minibar...hello?)
Thanks Jen!

And to those I have forgotten to thank before... Thanks now and I apologise. Flakey like a croissant, but deep down grateful to every one who links, comes by or comments. ( Like, Molly, for instance...)I really love you guys. I'd be lost without you.