Best Stone Fruit Preserves Recipes
BASIC JAM
The skins from stone fruit will contribute color and flavor to the jam. But for a smoother mixture, you can start by peeling peaches or nectarines: Carve an X in the bottom of each and plunge them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer them to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking; the skins will slip off. For plums, just lift the skins out of the cooked jam with a fork.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Time 45m
Yield Makes about 5 cups
Number Of Ingredients 4
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.
STONE FRUIT PRESERVES
I love to put up fruits and veggies. My favorite is making my own preserves. It used to be a long, boring process, but I found this little recipe that speeds things up quite a bit. I have also used plums and nectarines in this recipe. So take your pick and getting to making your own preserves today. Sugar and lemon juice combine with fruit pectin to thicken preserves as they cook. When the fruit is overly ripe and juicy, or you add a different type of fruit, the mixture may take longer to thicken to a syrup-like consistency. Simply continue to cook at high power at 1 minute intervals.
Provided by Tammy Raynes @Tammy_Raynes
Categories Jams & Jellies
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Stir together all ingredients in a 4 quart microwave-safe glass bowl.
- Microwave at high for 8 minutes (mixture will boil). Stir mixture, and microwave at high 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. (You're going for the viscosity of pancake syrup here. The mixture will thicken to soft-set preserves after it cools and chills.)
- Cool mixture completely (about 2 hours). Serve immediately, or cover and chill preserves in an airtight container until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
STONE FRUIT JAM
When it comes to summertime stone fruit, pies are often the first thing to come to mind, but jam made with peaches, plums and apricots is just as delicious and lasts much longer. Naturally rich in pectin and high in acidity, these fruits make for jam with rich textures and the best balance of sweet and tart. When choosing your fruit, look for pieces that are just ripe rather than overly ripe, as stone fruit tends to lose pectin and acidity the older it gets.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories breakfast, brunch, jams, jellies and preserves
Time 1h15m
Yield About 4 cups (4 8-ounce jars)
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Toss fruit and sugar together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight, tossing periodically to coat and to dissolve the sugar. (This will help coax the juices out of the fruit.)
- Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
- Bring the fruit to a strong simmer over medium heat until the skins burst and the juices start to boil, 10 to 15 minutes. If using a vanilla bean as an add-in, put it in the pot now.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the jam, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula at first and more frequently as juices thicken until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, about 25 to 35 minutes. How much it breaks down will depend on the type of fruit and how ripe it is. (For example, peaches are likely to retain their shape, while plums and apricots will break down almost entirely.)
- As the jam cooks, the liquid reduces, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles. This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate there, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
- When the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and any of the add-ins (see note). Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam has returned to its previously thickened state, about another 5 minutes. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook it a few minutes more.
- Remove from heat, and pick out vanilla bean, if you added it earlier. Divide between jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top of the jar, and seal immediately. Can the jams (see our How to Make Jam guide for more instruction), or store in the refrigerator, using them up within a couple of weeks.
ANY FRUIT JAM
Here is the foundation recipe for easy, fast jam. Take a pound of your favorite fruit, a quarter-cup of sugar, some seasonings and a few other ingredients, and cook until thick. That's it. Store it in the fridge, where it will keep at least a week. Your breakfast just got way more delicious.
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories condiments
Time 1h
Yield About 1 1/2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Put 1 pound fruit (pitted and chopped if necessary) in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- After a minute or so, add 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste), seasonings to taste and 2 tablespoons juice, vinegar or whatever liquid you prefer.
- Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily, using higher heat if the mixture looks too soupy; lower the heat if it seems dry. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick - 10 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate; it will thicken more as it cools.
- Store in the refrigerator, where it will keep for at least a week. If necessary, remove any seasonings (like lemon-grass stalks) before serving.
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