jam

Gilliland’s Peach Orchard is located in Cleveland, TN and I am pretty sure they have the best peaches in world. People come from all over for their super sweet peaches. I love fresh peaches however, I do not like canned peaches- I think it is a texture thing. So this year I decided to make a run of peach jam. And at the very last minute, I decided to throw in some vanilla paste.

While I would love to tell you I created a sophisticated peach jam recipe, the truth is I followed the instructions on the back of the Sure Jell box. No need to reinvent the wheel. Full disclosure- this is my first time making peach jam.

For this run, I purchased a peck of peaches. The final result was 30 half pint jars of golden goodness. I had no idea I was going to end up with this much, and if I had it to do over again, a half peck would have been the perfect amount to begin this peach jam journey.

You may assume I am going to slather the jam on homemade biscuits, and that is true. But I am also going to use it on cheese boards, add to iced tea, hot tea, ice cream, pancakes and anything and everything else that comes to mind.

Helpful Hint: The easiest way to peel a peach is to drop it into boiling water for a couple of minutes and then straight into an ice bath. This method insures minimal waste. After peeled, I used a hand chopper to dice the peaches into consistent pieces. This yielded 20 cups of diced peaches, 5 quart.

To preserve the jam, I used the water bath method. A good water bath canner, Ball jars, Ball rings, and a canning kit all come in handy.

Peach Vanilla Jam

A beautiful jar of golden goodness.

Ingredients

1 peck of peaches, peeled and diced. Approximately 20 cups (5 quart)
14 cups sugar
2.5 boxes Sure Jell
1/8 cup vanilla

Directions

Bring all ingredients to a boil except the vanilla. Skim any foam that rises to the top. Let boil for 15-20 minutes until it starts to thicken. Stir in the vanilla and fill up the sterilized jars. Water bath for 20 minutes.

[notes]
Make this recipe your own. You could easily omit the vanilla or substitute almond extract.

Christy Young Goza

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There is something about warm brie combined with just about any kind of jam that makes my mouth water, especially fig jam. I would love to tell you I worked hard in the kitchen all day making jam, but that is not the case. I happened to find a jar at TJ Max for $3.99 last week and grabbed it up. I knew immediately I would end up slathering it on brie sometime soon.

I happen to have a small Lodge Cast Iron skillet that fits a wheel of brie perfectly and keeps it nice and warm. Honestly, I have never used the tiny skillet for anything else, but I love it and it serves a purpose. I use iron skillets for just about everything. I have some handed down to me from my Memaw and I have some I have purchased over the years. I suggest using a silicone handle holder because there is nothing hotter than the handle of an iron skillet. I have four or five in the drawer I use on a regular basis.

Nuts…I am not a fan of nuts in cooked, savory food. I am sure that comes from my southern upbringing. Nuts belong in pies, pecans to be exact. But if you love nuts, I would imagine some walnuts or pecans on top might strike your fancy.

I like to serve granny smith apple slices with this dish for dipping. And while I am not big into kitchen gadgets, I do have a handy apple slicer– we eat a lot of apples at our house! Pour water in a bowl, squeezed a third of a lemon into it and throw the apple slices in to soak until the brie is ready. This will prevent the apples from browning too quickly.

Tonight, I happened to have a nice, chilled bottle of Buttercream Chardonnay that worked nicely with the brie. A red would have been just as good, too!

Brie with Fig Jam

Servings: 4-6
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Ingredients

1 wheel of brie
3 tbsp fig jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Score the top of the brie. Spread jam over the top. Cook uncovered for 15- 20 minutes.

Make this recipe your own. Add different types of jam or even apple butter. Top with walnuts or pecans.