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.
Last year I canned the most wonderful marinara sauce. This year I knew I had to recreate it and double the amount. That is tricky because tomatoes can vary from year to year and the types that are available in my area also vary. The optimum variety for marinara in my opinion would be Roma or San Marzano. They have very little water and seeds which makes them perfect for sauce.
The tomatoes I had on hand this year were run of the mill “canning” tomatoes. But a little extra time cooking down the sauce will make these work. Last year I had Roma tomatoes and canned them directly from the blender without cooking them down. That is the joy of a good Roma.
I love roasting the ingredients because the char on the tomatoes and the jammy sweetness adds a wonderful layer of flavor in the sauce.
Dried herbs work best if you decide to use any at all. Keep in mind herbs can magnify when canned so be light handed with them if you decide to add them.
I do not peel or seed my tomatoes. Life is short and a good blender will take care of these. If I were canning just tomatoes and not sauce, I would peel the tomatoes.
Tomatoes in general are a good starting point for beginner canners because a simple water bath is all that is required- no pressure cooker needed.
I am a big lover of Ball jars and lids. Canning is a lot of work and you don’t want to waste your time, effort and vegetables on thin jars and cheap lids. Most local hardware stores carry canning supplies you will need and I encourage you to visit your local hardware store. As with everything, the cost of supplies is increasing, so if you find a good deal, snatch it up. I have found great deals on ball jars on FaceBook marketplace and just friends and family that want to get rid of some jars. I DO NOT reuse my lids. Once I “pop a top” I throw the lid away. I have purchased plastic lids that fit canning jars to use for storage, etc and I love them. If you are trying to decide between using regular jars or wide mouth, this is important to know- canners hold less wide mouth jars at a time. Wide mouth jars are a little more expensive and cannot always be found. I have a few that I choose to use for storage and quick pickles. Otherwise, I use the standard Ball canning jar.
I do follow Ball canning recommendations 99 percent of the time. Ball is the gold standard for canning and they have some great books with step by step instructions. If you are just getting started, I recommend purchasing one.
People that do not follow recommended guidelines are referred to as “rebel” canners. Here is my take on this. We all do what we have been taught to do by our mothers and grandmothers. It’s your kitchen. You make the rules of your kitchen. My grandmother was a rule follower and I chose to follow in her footsteps. I see so many arguments and confrontations over rebel canning methods. To each their own. Again, life is short, stay in your lane (kitchen).
Because I am adding other ingredients into my marinara (onions, green peppers) I am potentially lowering the acidity of the contents of the jar. Lower acidity contents require pressure canning. Coincidentally, I always add red wine vinegar to any tomatoes I cook or can. In my opinion it enhances the flavor of tomatoes immensely. I add 2tsps red wine vinegar to each jar, raising the acidity level back to appropriate water bath standards. If you are worried about this issue the solution is easy- you can just pressure can your marinara. Your kitchen and you make the rules.
I like to keep my sauce simple. It is easy after you open a jar to boost the flavor profile by adding additional herbs to align with the dish you are making.
Jars of marina make great gifts. A jar of sauce, a bag of nice pasta and a cute dish towel is a great hostess gift.
Canning Roasted Marinara Sauce
Vine ripened tomato flavor sealed into a jar-a simple blank slate.
Ingredients
1/2 box tomatoes- quartered
3 onions- quartered
2 green peppers- seeded and quartered
12 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/21 tsp dried oregano
2 tsps red pepper flakes
Directions
Roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until jammy. Place contents into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a large stock pot and add 3 tsp salt and 1/8 cup sugar (optional). Cook down if needed and pour into sterilized quart jars. Add 2 tsps red wine vinegar to each quart jar. Water bath for 45 minutes.
If making a larger batch, you can cook it down in an electric turkey roaster.
Make this recipe your own. Add carrots for a sweeter, milder sauce. Omit all the extras and herbs and can just tomato sauce.
