Nectarine And Peach Jam With Lemon Verbena Food

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.

PEACH & NECTARINE JAM (LOW SUGAR)

Steps:

• Gather all your fruits and wash them. Make a cross on the bottom of each peach. Place the fruit is simmering water for 45-60 seconds.
• Proceed by peeling the fruit.
• Chop the fruit into regular medium-size pieces.
• Put the fruits in a pot and cover them with sugar. Add the juice of one squeezed lemon.
• Let the mixture simmer on the stovetop at low heat for 1 hour.
• At this point you can check the consistency of your jam (see notes). If it is not yet ready, you can continue letting it simmer for 15 minutes more.
• Now your jam is ready and you can store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or can it.
• If you decide to can it, make sure to sterilize your jars and lids. When the jam is still hot, place it inside each jar with the help of a canning funnel. Close it. Boil it for 20-40 minutes. Remove it for the water and place it upside down in a dry place for 12 hours.

CERTO® NECTARINE JAM

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Pit and finely chop nectarines. Measure exactly 4-1/2 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.
• Stir sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reducing foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

APRICOT LEMON VERBENA JAM

Steps:

• Finely chop apricots.
• Combine sugar and lemon verbena leaves in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until the leaves are fully incorporated in the sugar (the sugar will become light green).
• Combine sugar-lemon verbena mixture and apricots in a large bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.
• Inspect 4 jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Transfer apricot-sugar mixture to a large pot and stir in pectin. Slowly bring to a full rolling boil that does not stop bubbling when stirred. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Ladle apricot jam into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any spills. Top with lids and tightly screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart. Let rest for 24 hours without moving the jars. Gently press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

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.

MCP NECTARINE JAM

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Peel, pit and finely chop nectarines. Measure exactly 5 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Add lemon juice; mix well.
• Stir pectin into prepared fruit in stockpot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 4 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. (If lids springs back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.) Let prepared jars stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store unopened jams and jellies in cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year. Refrigerate opened jams and jellies up to 3 weeks.

NECTARINE-RASPBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Stir together fruit, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved and mashing fruit with a potato masher. Add lemon juice; continue to boil, stirring frequently, until bubbles slow, chunks of fruit show at top, and mixture clings to a spoon but falls off in clumps, 10 to 12 minutes. Skim foam from top.
• Ladle jam into clean containers, leaving 3/4 inch of headroom. Let cool completely. Cover, label, and refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 1 year.