Making Stone Fruit Jam
Stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots are fleeting. Cooking them into jam extends their season using nothing more than fruit, sugar, and a steady flame.
Ripeness is the primary ingredient.
Use fruit that is slightly past its prime or very soft, as these have the highest sugar content and the most pectin. Avoid fruit with bruises or mold.
- Wide, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot
- Potato masher
- Sterilized glass jars with lids
- Canning funnel
What goes in.
- 4 lbstone fruit, pitted and chopped
- 3 cupsgranulated sugar
- 2 tbsplemon juice
Determining the Set
Keep a small saucer in the freezer. When the jam begins to thicken, spoon a drop onto the frozen plate; if it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, the jam is ready to set.
The method.
Macerate the fruit
Toss the chopped fruit with the sugar and lemon juice in the pot. Let it sit for 30 minutes until the fruit releases its juices.
Initial cook
Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat. Use the masher to break down the chunks to your desired consistency.
Reduction
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot, until the jam darkens and turns glossy.
Final check
Perform the cold plate test. Once it wrinkles, remove from heat immediately.
Jarring
Ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving a quarter-inch of space at the top. Seal tightly.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Leave the skins on plums for a deeper color and a slight tartness in the final jam.
If your jam doesn't set, increase the heat for a final 5-minute boil, but watch constantly to avoid burning.
Crush a few fruit pits and place them in a cheesecloth bag while boiling to add a subtle almond note, then remove before jarring.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my jam turn out runny?
The fruit likely didn't cook long enough to evaporate the water content, or the fruit was underripe and lacked natural pectin.
Can I reduce the amount of sugar?
Sugar is required for the preservation and the set; reducing it significantly will change the texture and shelf stability of the jam.
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