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.