Red Raspberry Nectarine Jam

I adore raspberry jam. 

I don't even mind the seeds. 

Then last year, I layered some red raspberry jam with some white nectarine jam and it was heaven in a jar.    When I tried to process the jars for canning after I layered the jam, the layers all boiled together and I ended up with mixed Red Raspberry-White Nectarine Jam.    Which was 7th Heaven in a jar.

So this year I made some of that stuff on purpose.  You have to make some, too.   You'll love it.   [You can use regular nectarines instead of white ones and it'll be just as tasty.]

Red Raspberry-White Nectarine Jam
www.rurification.com

1 cup cold water
2 cups peeled, chopped nectarines
2 cups red raspberries [fresh or frozen]
4 tablespoons low sugar pectin
2 cups sugar

Mix the cold water, pectin and fruit in a pot.   Mix well to dissolve the pectin.  Bring to boil.  Stir constantly until it reaches a hard rolling boil that you can't stir down.   Boil 2 minutes.   Add sugar, stirring well.   Bring back to hard rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Ladle into jars.

Yield:  2 1/2 pints. 

Note:   This jam tends to be soft.  If you want a firm jam, use 4-6 tablespoons of pectin.

Want all of these recipes in one handy doc?   Check out my ebook, A Simple Jar of Jam:180+ recipes & variations for jam using low sugar pectin.  [Preview link over on my sidebar, right.]   You'll love it!

Nectarine Jam

Nectarines are so pretty.

On the outside.

On the inside they're sort of boring, and beige.

I'm not all that into beige jam.   It's a personal failing.

It's a failing because beige jams are really good.  Apple Pear Maple Jam is beige and it's really fabulous.   Pear Ginger Jam is beige and it's really good.  So is Pear Nutmeg Vanilla Jam.  And Pear Maple Jam.  And Pear Plum Vanilla Jam [My favorite!].  And Pear Brown Sugar Cardamom Jam.

So you see, my bias against beige jam is totally unfounded.

Which is why I suck it up and make a batch or two of plain nectarine jam every year so we can have it on ice cream.   And waffles.  And pancakes.   And the occasional piece of toast.

Nectarine Jam
www.rurification.com

4 cups peeled, chopped nectarines [4-6 nectarines.  Or so.]
1 cup water
4 tablespoons low sugar pectin
2 cups sugar

Mix the water, pectin and fruit in a pot.   Mix well to dissolve the pectin.  Bring to boil.  Stir constantly until it reaches a hard rolling boil that you can't stir down.   Boil 1 minutes.   Add sugar, stirring well.   Bring back to hard rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Ladle into jars.

Yield: 2 1/2 pints. 

Want all these beige jam recipes in one handy doc?   Check out my ebook, A Simple Jar of Jam:180+ recipes & variations for jam using low sugar pectin.  [Preview link over on my sidebar, right.]

White Nectarine Jam

Part of my loot from the Sam's produce section was a box of white nectarines.  Nectarines are a hybrid of peaches and plums - Prunus persica var. nucipersica - and are basically a firmer, fuzzless peach.   They're really common here in the midwest and the trick is to let them ripen.   Rock hard nectarines are not delicious.   When they're ripe, the flesh is soft and they smell divine.


Divine, divine, divine.  [Name that movie.  It's about a little girl.]

I had never see white nectarines before and I grabbed a box.  I figured that by the time I got the rest of the stash jammed, the nectarines would be ripe and I'd be able to do something with them.

The next day, the most wonderful fragrance filled the kitchen.   Ethereal.  Floral.  Intoxicating.

It was my box of white nectarines.   I had never smelled anything like that before.   These babies are something special.

They got their very own jam.  With nothing extra added.   And then I made a second batch and layered it with another jam and it looks awesome and I'll show you that tomorrow. 

Here's what you need to know about nectarines.   They are a very low pectin fruit, which means that they don't have a lot of pectin already in them.  If you want thick jam, you have to add a lot of pectin or a lot of sugar or both.   A lot.

Or else you'll have syrup, which isn't a bad thing.  Syrup is awesome!

White Nectarine Jam

• 4 cups, peeled, pitted and chopped nectarines [about 4 nectarines, if they're big]
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/3 cup [rounded] Dutch Jell  All Natural Lite pectin
• 1 cup sugar

Mix the cold water, pectin and fruit in a pot.   Mix well to dissolve the pectin.  Bring to boil.  Stir constantly until it reaches a hard rolling boil that you can't stir down.   Boil 2 minutes.   Add sugar, stirring well.   Bring back to hard rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Ladle into jars.  Makes 2 1/2 pints.  

Note:  This is a very low acid fruit.   If you are afraid to can it, then keep it in the fridge.