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.

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.