I am the local jam dealer for my family and friends!! Yep, I supply several families with my freezer jam, you’ll see I make unheard of amounts of it….
This year something crazy happened, however. I have made this recipe for at least 10 years and so I should have it down pat– RIGHT?? I never look at the pectin instructions anymore… after my 4th batch of jam I noticed they weren’t setting up and still had all kinds of sugar granules in there 🙁 So, I venture to pull out the instructions and they’d changed the recipe!!! GGrrrrr… who does that???? I’m not naming names but beware of a major brand that starts with an “M”… they want you to use Karo syrup and not cook the pectin! Who thinks of these things?? Don’t they know the reason we all make freezer jam is because it’s faster! (They also want each batch to sit in the bowl for like 40 minutes!!) Madness I tell you…
I returned all 24 boxes of the “M” brand pectin and bought our local store brand kind which had not changed a darn thing!! Then I spent a saturday afternoon Jammin’ it up 🙂
Peach Raspberry Freezer Jam
Peach Raspberry Jam
1 1/2 C peaches
1 1/2 C raspberries
2 Tbls lemon juice– fresh or bottled
5 C sugar
1 box of pectin with 3/4 C cold water
Remove peach skin (I just pull them off with knife, if they’re ripe enough they’ll come right off). Cut peach in half and remove pit. Quarter each peach half and place in blender. Fill blender 1/3 the way full and hit pulse 2-3 times. (You still need chunks.. do not puree). Wash raspberries (takes about 2 pints) put in a large glass measure cup and mash down. Put 5 C sugar and 1 1/2 C of each fruit in a large mixing bowl, stir, let sit for 10 minutes. (I usually prepare the next round of fruit if your doing multiple batches).
In a small sauce pan add cold water, slowly sprinkle in pectin stirring till mixed and no lumps. Turn stove on high heat and watch for it to boil, stir, when it reaches a full rolling boil cook for 1 minute (I always set the timer). Remove from heat, slowly drizzle hot pectin into the fruit bowl and stir for 3 minutes (set timer… it’s longer than you think). Pour into clean freezer containers (I use the disposable Ziplock pint size– they stack nicely and can be reused). Let sit out for 24 hours and then freeze.
Remove peel
Quarter each half
I don’t use a cutting board but I probably should…
Fill blender 1/3 way full and pulse 2-3 times (leave it chunky)
Mix 5 C sugar, 1 1/2 C of peaches and crushed raspberries, juice of 1/2 a lemon
Mix well and let sit 10 minutes
If there are too large of peach pieces, I cut them smaller
Ready for Pectin
3/4 C cold water, mix in pectin, bring to rolling boil for 1 minute
Stirring while boiling
Drizzle into fruit and stir for 3 minutes
Pour into freezer containers
In an attempt to salvage the first 4 batches, I cooked them down added more pectin and bottled them. The verdict is still out…. I may have peach raspberry syrup???
OH and I’m proud to say my son will not even taste any other kind of jam but my Peach Raspberry, it’s that good! Enjoy…