I look forward to the produce of summer all year long. The sweet sungold tomatoes that taste like a burst of sunshine in your mouth, fuzzy peaches, and any and all berries. It seems like just as soon as these fruits and vegetables arrive, they’re gone. Summer is too short, in my opinion. But I think I’ve found a pretty great solution to extending my favorite eating season: preserving.
Preserving can be pickling, canning, fermenting, dehydrating, making herb oils, jams and jellies. This is one of my favorite ways, as Joshua McFadden put it in his book Six Seasons, “to stop time and capture the perfection of the season.”
Market Stone Fruit Jam
This recipe makes 1 8oz jar. I love using stone fruit because it’s naturally high in pectin–the stuff that makes jams and jelly thick. Canning can seem intimidating, but it takes basically no extra equipment and you’ll be so glad you did this once winter rolls around and you still have the smallest bit of summer in your pantry. This recipe will hold up for a year if you use proper canning technique, or a few weeks if you store it in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Ripe stone fruits like apricots, plums, peaches. Pitted, sliced or cut into chunks.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice
- Sterilized 8oz jar and lid
Method
First, start by tossing your fruit and sugar together in a large bowl. Let sit, macerating, for 15-20 minutes, until fruit starts to seep liquid. Bring the fruit and sugar to a simmer over medium-low heat in a pot. You’ll notice the skins start to break down and the juice really comes out of the fruit. Let this cook for about 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until bubbles are thick and syrupy. This is when you really need to pay attention and stir frequently or the juice could burn.
After the liquid is well reduced, add your lemon or orange juice and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the syrup as returned to it’s thick, reduced state. Pour your jam into a sterilized mason jar while it is still hot and seal with sterilized lid. Once the jam is cooled, the mason jar will be sealed and your jam will be good for a year! Otherwise, just store jam in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use within a few weeks.
If you’re feeling like this option is a little more work than you feel like putting in, just throw your favorite ripe fruit like strawberries in a bit of alcohol or vinegar and infuse for a few weeks. Voila! You preserved. Look at you!