Award Winning Peach Jam ~ canning recipe...

I have been busy today making "Peach Jam"...

If you love jam and you like peaches, you have got to try this one ~ 

It's a little bit of work, but it's so worth it~!

There is a time consuming step to do first, to make this recipe - you need to make some 'Candied Ginger' - Or, you could buy some, if that suits you. I make my own...

There are easy recipe's and there are kind of intense recipes to make 'Candied Ginger." The way I do it is kind of 'intense,' but it is very worth it in the end...

Candied Ginger Recipe

1 lb. Fresh Ginger Root

Water ~

1 Vanilla Bean

20 Whole Cardamom Pods, cracked open...

2" piece of Cinnamon Stick

2 1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground Cardamom

1. Scrape peelings off of Ginger with the edge of a spoon.
2. Place Ginger in a 3 qt. saucepan and add enough water to cover.
3. Cut the Vanilla Bean length wise & scrape the seeds. Add the seeds & pod to the water & Ginger.
4. Add the Cardamom Pods & Cinnamon Stick.
5. Bring to a boil & cook at a low simmer for about 40 min., or until Ginger is tender.
6. Drain Ginger & remove spices ~ don't worry about the Cardamom Seeds, but remove the pods...
7. In an empty saucepan, mix 1/3 C water with 2 C. Sugar and bring to a boil.
8. Add the Ginger and cook at a boil, stirring frequently, for 20 min.
9. Reduce heat to med/low & continue to cook & stir until the syrup begins to thicken ~ about another 10 to 15 min.
10. In a bowl, mix the reaming 1/2 C. Sugar, Ground Cinnamon & Ground Cardamom & set aside...
11. As the Ginger begins to thicken, the syrup will look like foamy bubbles when stirred rather than bubbles in liquid. At this point, lift the Ginger out of the pan and into the sugar mixture in the bowl. Toss to coat and spread out on a sheet pan to cool.
~ Store in a jar~

*** Collect all the extra sugar in your bowl & process it in a food processor until a fine consistency and use the "Ginger Sugar" for baking~ I use it on my Snickerdoodle cookies, or in tea~!***

This "Candied Ginger" recipe makes about a pint sized jar full - it keeps in a jar for years, if candied correctly. This amount of "Candied Ginger" lasts me for my baking needs for about 3 years, so usually I already have it on hand for making jam...

Award Winning Peach Jam Recipe

8 C. Peaches (pitted, peeled, mashed with your fingers)

4 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

6 Tbsp. Powdered Fruit Pectin (1 box)

7 C. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Finely Chopped, Candied Ginger

1/4 tsp. Fresh Grated Ginger Root

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp. Allspice

Zest from 1/2 Lemon

1. In a small bowl combine; chopped Candied Ginger, grated Ginger Root, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice and Lemon Zest ~ set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, put 7 C. of sugar ~ set aside.

3. In a Large saucepan, over medium heat, bring the peaches and lemon juice to a boil.

4. Add the pectin and return to a bowl, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.

5. Add the sugar to the boiling peaches and while stirring constantly, bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. (A rolling boil cannot be 'stirred down' - a simmer can be 'stirred down' it needs to be at a rolling boil)

6. Add the spices ~ stir well and boil for 1 minute.

7. Skim the foam & fill your jars leaving 1/4" headspace.

8. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 min.

*This recipe makes 6 1/2 pints of jam*

While I was coming home from Denver at the beginning of the week (yes it was even raining and flooding then...) I stopped at 'Kokopelli's' fruit stand on I-70, North of Grand Junction and bought some organic peaches. They were as big as softballs and yummy!

I had enough to make 12 pint jars of jam and 2, half pints of jam - 

This is our favorite jam recipe and it's always worth making...

If you like "Peach Jam," give this recipe a try ~ 

You won't be disappointed~!