Orange Peach Jam

I always thought that jam-making was an enormous deal -- something that grandmothers from another time did in their cottages on rural routes in middle America. They would pick and cut up fresh fruits, boil them on hot summer nights and then can them, processing the cans with a magic I don't understand and am afraid to master, so they and their grandchildren could enjoy the results in the middle of winter, spread onto thick slices of fresh, warm-from-the-oven homemade bread. Sounds idyllic, no? And so not me.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I successfully made jam and jelly last summer. I didn't can either of them (and I still haven't gone that far) but they were both delicious and I even used pectin when I made the jelly! Lately, there have been wonderful peaches at our greenmarkets and, being unable to walk away from such abundance, I keep bringing them home. And there's just so many I can put into my smoothies!

So I decided to make some into jam. Not wanting to go through a whole big-deal production, I found a recipe on Pure Kitchen for Spreadable Raisin Jam. This isn't cooked at all; instead raisins, orange juice and spices are put into a blender until jammy. It sounded perfect but my peaches needed to be cooked to taste more peachy! So I boiled them with spices and orange juice and then blended them for about a minute and they were delicious! The jam is entirely unsweetened and has a little kick from the spices which I love. It's great as a snack on rice cakes and also spread on gingersnap cookies. Enjoy!

Orange Peach Jam
inspired by Pure Kitchen

• 3-4 ripe peaches, peeled (if desired), pitted and quartered
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons allspice

In a medium pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 25 minutes, adding water or additional orange juice if necessary. Let come to room temperature, transfer to a blender (or nutribullet) and blend for about 1 minute, until it reaches desired consistency. Bon appetit!

Links:

• Peach Marmalade from About.com
• Peach Orange Marmalade from Mother Earth News
• Orange Peach Jam from Mennonite Girls Can Cook
• Peach-Orange Marmalade from National Center for Home Food Preservation
• Peach Orange Preserves from Cooking Lessons