Making jam is a labor of love, but it also extends the flavors of summer into the winter. I have a soft spot in my heart for fruit jams, and love the soft, spoonable texture of this pectin-free Raspberry Peach Jam. Since there is no added commercial pectin to this jam, the texture is looser than most jams you would find in a grocery store, and the raspberry and peach flavors are bold and vivid. I think it also makes this Raspberry Peach Jam more versatile, since you could also use at as a topping for ice cream or yogurt. My favorite way to eat it is spooned generously onto a buttermilk biscuit – mornings don’t get much better than that!
Notes: If you are going to bottle the jam to make it shelf stable (and more giftable), make sure to read and follow the recipe well. (Nothing worse than a spoiled jar of jam.)
I added vanilla beans to this jam to give it a more sophisticated, floral flavor, but feel free to leave it out if you don’t have any.
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 6 half-pint jar
5 pounds (80 oz) Fresh peaches24 ounces Fresh aspberries7 cups (50 oz) granulated sugar1/4 cup lemon juice (1-2 lemons)1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)2 large vanilla beans
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Put a few metal spoons into the freezer to use for checking the set of the jam later.