Nectarine Vanilla Bean Jam Recipes

NECTARINE JAM

Steps:

• Cook all ingredients at a very mild boil for 30-minutes.
• *At this point you can add optional spices of your choice such as 1 teaspoons cinnamon, almond extract, or ground ginger, or 1 tblsp. brandy extract; or any favorite combination. Cook for 5 minutes more.
• Skim foam off surface.
• Ladle into sterilized jars.
• Process in boiling water bath for 10-mins.

NECTARINE-VANILLA BEAN JAM

Steps:

• In pot combine nectarines and lemon juice. Using potato masher, crush the fruit to create a pulp. Scrape the seed from the vanilla beans into the pot. Stir in vanilla bean pods and sugar.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, bring mixture to a full rolling boil., stirring constantly. Take off heat.
• Quickly stir in pectin. Return to roiling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim off foam, remove and discard vanilla bean pods.
• Ladle into hot sterlized 8 oz jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims and add lids.
• Process in water bath for your recommended altitude.
• To distribute fruit, cool for about 20 minutes, then gently turn and tilt jars without inverting, repeat as needed.
• **Tip: If you like chunkier jam, mash the fruit after cooking before ladling into jars. Also you can leave the skin on the fruit, it's up to you.

FAST LATE-SUMMER JAMS

Steps:

• Combine ingredients for any of the jams in a small-to-medium saucepan; fruit should be at a depth of a couple of inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat. (You might have to add a tablespoon or two of water to the figs, but hold off until you see how much of their own liquid they produce.)
• Adjust heat so mixture bubbles steadily. If it looks too soupy, use a higher heat to reduce it; if there is not much liquid, use lower heat to avoid burning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is liquid but thick. Figs will take the least time, peaches the longest.
• Cool and refrigerate mixture; all will thicken as it cools. Store, refrigerated, for up to a week. Remove vanilla bean or cinnamon stick before serving.

NECTARINE AND PEACH JAM WITH LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Grate zest from half the lemon and place zest in a large saucepan. Juice lemon and add the juice to the zest. Toss in fruit, sugar, salt and lemon verbena and bring to a simmer. Turn mixture into a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, if you plan to can the jam, prepare the jars according to the instructions here.
• Strain the liquid from the mixture into a wide, shallow pot or large skillet, reserving the fruit. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook until it thickens enough to wrinkle on the surface when you push it with a spoon (a candy thermometer should read 220 degrees).
• Remove lemon verbena from fruit and add fruit to the pot with the syrup. Simmer fruit gently until mixture looks very thick and jamlike. You can test the jam to see if it's ready by freezing a small plate. Drop a bit of the jam on the plate, let it cool for a minute and then push it with your finger. The top should wrinkle. If syrup is thin and runny, keep cooking and test again in a few minutes (return plate to freezer in the meantime).
• If canning, spoon into hot sterilized jars and process as directed. Otherwise, let jam cool, then store in refrigerator or freezer.