Saturday, June 20, 2015

Purely Peach Jam (Toast Topper #61)

Arguably one of the best (and here, at least, the most anticipated) aspects of Summer life is the abundance of prime, fresh produce - especially fruit. Things like peaches just don't taste right any other time than mid-July through August, when they're plump, soft and simply dripping with sweet nectar. Sadly, that prime peach season is still out of reach for us, at least fresh-wise, and I want that fresh, sweet flavour every day!

Luckily, peach jam is equally delicious as long as it's made with prime fruit (just like any preserve), and thankfully I have an ace in my back pocket - IQF peaches from a local orchard. Picked at their peak, skinned, sliced and flash frozen, they make perfect additions to oatmeal, pies, cakes, muffins, yogurt... and of course jam!

Purely Peach Jam

I didn't want to waste that precious peach flavour and natural sweetness though, so I opted to make this Toast Topper with minimal extras. I even made the whole batch sugar free (I used Truvia and no-sugar pectin) and added some delicious unsweetened peach nectar I found on sale. A pinch of ginger and a shot of pure vanilla extract later and I had my perfect peach jam - thick, chunky and all about the fruit. My mom loved it too, but wondered how to enhance the naturally awesome flavour... leading to me slipping in a shot of Amaretto (one of her favourite liqueurs) for a hint of "peach melba" flavour without the raspberries that featured in my past melba-esque preserve. Both ways are divine, both ways more than worthy of your favourite crusty bread or dolloping into the middle of muffin batter before baking!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Purely Peach Jam
Makes ~2 ½ cups, 40 (1 tbsp) servings
2 cups diced, peeled peaches (I used locally grown IQF peaches)
⅓ cup peach nectar
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp fresh ginger
1 ½ tbsp no-sugar-needed pectin (I used Ball® RealFruit™ Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin)
6 packets Truvia (or ¼ cup sugar, or leave it out)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (adults, use 1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur for a kick!)
  1. In a saucepan, mix chopped peaches, peach juice, lemon juice and ginger.
  2. Thoroughly mix in pectin and bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring almost constantly.
  3. Add Truvia and return mixture to a full rolling boil.
  4. Boil hard 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  5. Remove from heat, cool 1 minute and stir in vanilla (or Amaretto).
  6. Can 10 minutes in a waterbath or store in the fridge up to 2 weeks.

Amount Per Serving (with Truvia)

Calories: 2.9
Total Fat: 0.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.2 mg
Total Carbs: 1.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
Protein: 0.0 g

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