Favorite end of season Peach Jam recipe using Ball pectin? Or advice? Just scored some at the FM

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
Since I'm no jam expert thought I'd ask in case there might be a better options given it's sorta late in the season. I got O'Henry yellow peaches and they tasted pretty good. (Though not quite as good as peak season peaches.) Last week I got some peaches from another vendor planning to make jam, but they were hard, so let them sit and boom (bam?) they went bad overnight. BAD. Had to toss them all.

These are at a stage where they appear to be just on the verge or ripe, so I want to try to make this today, but I thought I'd check with you experts first!

Also, I don't have SureJell, I have Ball Pectin (classic and low/no sugar, both in jars) and I'm not sure where I'd get SureJell (do I need to go try and get some?). Online says get it in the canning section of your grocery store, yeah there is no canning section in any grocery store I've seen. I get my canning supplies at the hardware store (though I did see jars at Smart/Final).

I'm eye-ing the recipe at the link, though not sure I'd add all those ingredients, maybe nix the cloves.

What would the experts here do?

http://www.food.com/recipe/grand-champion-peach-jam-169363

 
tag-teaming how do I save 9 8-0z jars of soupy peach jam?

I bought freezer pectin, low-sugar pectin and I have regular sure-gel powder.


What should I do beside add Insta-Cement to it.

 
I'd throw all that jam into a pot (add some lemon juice if you didn't before), stir in the package

of sure-jell & bring to a boil. Let it boil at a really good clip (stirring the whole time)and after about 3 minutes of hard boil, turn off the heat, skim and return to re-sterilized jars. You might need to replace the domes (but not definitely) to ensure a good seal. Continue to process in a water bath for 10 minutes. My guess is, that should do it. If that doesn't work, puree it, call it Peach Coulis.

 
Maria, regarding your post, under-ripe fruit is actually preferable to over-ripe or even REALLY

ripe fruit for canning. Unless you're simply putting it up to use later in the season as plain fruit, you'll be cooking it and adding a significant amount of sugar, not to mention spices or other flavorings.

Contrary to some thinking, fruit that's past it's prime is NOT going to improve by being turned into jam. It's just going to be a past-it's-prime-fruit-jam which is not what one wants to spread on toast.

I only use Sure-Jell but have a feeling that an equivalent amount of Ball Pectin (if it's not for low-sugar) would probably be comparable. Usually there's some kind of basic recipe included with every package. Check it out.

Finally, IMHO that recipe ("Grand Champion" or not) looks like it would taste like everything BUT peaches. After you add crystallized ginger, ginger root, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and lemon zest, you might as well be using canned fruit. Throw in a kitchen sink while you're at it. (Sorry, I got snippy for a second. Some net recipes really annoy me.)

I do add flavorings to jam but rarely more than two because you want the flavor of the fruit to be the star.

That said, you only learn by experience. Give it a shot, let us know how it works out.

 
Well, I've decided this jam is gonna be wing and a prayer jam...

I do recall your post about over ripe fruit (it caused me not to try jam with those apricots because those puppies were for sure over ripe). Because of your previous caution, these are not over ripe, more on the verge to ripe category, but most importantly, they actually taste tested as quite good. I've noticed some peaches were starting to taste mealy so I wasn't going to try this unless I've tasted them. Also, a coupe of additions since my above post.

1) I decided I didn't have enough peaches, so bought more and they are going to be hard to deal with given they are those flying saucer shaped ones, but...they passed the taste test. These are a on the under ripe side so, maybe it will all come out in the wash.

2) That Safeway I dislike? I ran in for something else and lo and behold...Sure Jell. This may be a game changer.

3) The bulging disc in my neck and torn rotator cuff both decided to complain fiercely at the same time, to the point that I finally gave in to taking a vicodin moments ago, so all jam is postponed to tomorrow.

Yes, I agree there was too much in the mix in that recipe, but if these end of season peaches didn't end up tasty or very peachy, thought other flavors may be needed. So now with Sure Jell in the mix this may change everything, including the recipe...to I know not what at the moment. Hence, with so many variables: Wing and a Prayer Peach..something, lol.

 
Maybe crush up a little of that vicodin in the mix and no one will care what it tastes like! smileys/smile.gif

 
No room in the freezer smileys/frown.gif ...Did you add lemon juice?

Because I got some Costco organic sliced frozen peaches for my VM and all I could taste was the lemon juice. Really disappointed.

 
I have no idea. - Steve? I'm delayed till tomorrow (MIL had a faux heart attack)

Spent the day at the hospital, she had some type of heart issue that was later downgraded to not a heart attack. Stuck the peaches in the fridge before running over there this am, just got home so need to try this in the am.

On blogs I've seen folks talk a lot about different pectins/brands/etc and they talk about different ratios of sugar with them, so they don't sound the same. At least it sounds scary enough to me I don't want to chance it given I'm a newbie at this.

 
Refrigerated peaches should be okay but they might be a little wonky. I say try it anyway and

no matter what the outcome, you won't be a "newbie" jam maker any more.

 
I added some of the Fruit -Fresh powder. Taste fine in a smoothie, but then I use

yogurt as a thinner so that may mask the taste.

 
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