This Peach Melba jam recipe is softer than many firm, store-bought jams because no pectin is added. There is some sugar added for additional sweetness and to bring the fruit to an extremely high heat before canning. Lemon juice is a natural preservative and flavor enhancer.
The amount of sugar is always a personal choice. This recipe is already quite low in sugar relative to many traditional jams, but home canners get to decide how much sugar they put in their recipes. This recipe calls for only 1 to 2 cups of sugar, but up to 4 cups of sugar may be added if desired.
What is Peach Melba?
The famous French chef, Auguste Escoffier, created a classic dessert combining peaches and raspberries in the late 1800s. He named the dessert Peach Melba in honor of and as a 'thank you' to the famous opera diva Nellie Melba. She had given him two tickets to the opera "Lohengrin".
Escoffier's dessert features two peach halves, poached, and placed face down on vanilla ice cream. The peaches are then topped with raspberry sauce (and sometimes whipped cream and almond slivers.)
Today, any recipe combining the delectable flavors of peach and raspberry is referred to as Peach Melba, for example: Peach Melba pie, Peach Melba cobbler, and Peach Melba jam.
Peaches
Choose round, ripe peaches, and use organic when possible. A ripe peach will give very slightly when squeezed most gently; an unripe peach will feel more like a baseball. Also, a peach with reddish skin is sweeter. The skin becomes red while getting lots of sun before it is picked. The sun causes the peach to develop more of its natural sugar and turns the skin red.
Peaches provide Vitamins A, C, and they also provide calcium (an unexpected nutrient in fruit.) As with other stone fruits, the peach's skin is where much of its nutrients reside. Peach skin is also a good source of dietary fiber.
There is no reason to peel off peach skins and discard them. Peach skin is good food. As in this recipe, feel free to leave on the peach skins in other recipes that instruct cooks to peel and discard. Peach skin is not refuse; it is food.
Peaches are categorized into freestone and clingstone groups. The names mean what they sound like. The flesh of the peach falls easily off of freestone peaches, and is harder to remove from clingstone peaches. Therefore, when cutting up peaches, the freestone varieties are easier to use.
Raspberries
One cup of fresh, raw raspberries has a significant amount of Vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. They are also rich in antioxidants. The sugar is raspberries is said to not effect blood sugar levels of those who eat them.
Rinsing fresh raspberries to remove dirt particles before use is sufficient. Frozen raspberries may also be used in the following recipe. Choose organic when possible.
Peach Melba Jam Recipe
This jam can be enjoyed as soon as it is cool enough to eat. Place some in a glass or ceramic container in the refrigerator and can the rest.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of pitted, chopped up fresh peaches
- 1 cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 - 2 cups sugar
To Make the Jam
- Chop up whole peaches and put in large cooking pot.
- Squeeze juice of one lemon and strain out seeds.
- Add lemon juice to peaches
- Mash peaches and lemon juice well with a potato masher.
- Turn on heat and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Cover and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Now stir in raspberries and sugar.
- Increase heat to medium high
- Boil rapidly and stir often for 20 - 25 minutes (if jam seems to get thick sooner, it is okay to boil and stir for less time.)
- Remove from heat and skim off of foam.
- Proceed with canning.
Canning
When cooking a large batch of jam to can, it is best to start sterilizing jars and lids before starting to prepare the jam. This ensures that the jars will be both clean and hot when the jam is ready to be poured into them.
- Sterilize canning jars and lids. This can be done by boiling for ten minutes, or by following manufacturer's instructions.
- Place jars and lids in a large pot of water and bring to boil.
- Also heat water in the canner while making peach melba jam.
- Let jars and lids sit in hot or boiling water while making peach melba jam.
- When jam is ready, remove jars from water with tongs.
- Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
- Affix lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Process in hot water bath canner for at least ten minutes.
This recipe will yield four to five half pint jars of peach melba jam.
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