Love at First Blush

In desperate need of some sweetness to leaven a week of bitter political rhetoric and soul-sucking seasonal melancholy, I decided to make jam. I had to really. It was either that or break out the Prozac and vodka, and I didn't need a prescription for sugar.

End of the season peaches at 99 cents a pound settled the question as to what kind. Undoubtedly grown in Mexico, they were hard as rocks and, I would soon discover, not even freestone. They would, however, most certainly do in a jam. (I’m feeling more puckish already.)

All of the preserved peach preparations in my cookbooks bored me like Sunday school. I needed something a little dangerous. A taste of something slightly strange. The scent of romance.

I found what I was looking for on the internet, (would that it were always so simple): peach jam with the tender tang of raspberries and a kiss of culinary lavender.

This is a sexy jam.

And so good it will make you blush.

BLUSHING PEACH-LAVENDER JAM

 (yields about 12 half-pint jars)

2 tablespoons culinary lavender buds

9 cups peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

3 cups fresh raspberries

8 cups white granulated sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 (3 ounce) envelopes liquid fruit pectin

Ideally the peaches should be just ripe but still firm. Despite my preference for working with the freestone variety, the best peach for this jam is a yellow cling, which has more sugar; all the better to make it gel.

Still, this recipe needs a little help. Though some purists eschew it, when used appropriately, fruit pectin is your friend. Think of it as Viagra for jam. Use only as much as you need and be aware that liquid and powdered pectins are not interchangeable for substitution. If it says 'liquid pectin,' use liquid pectin.

While preparing the peaches, steep the lavender buds in 1 cup of boiling water. (I use a tea ball so straining isn't necessary.)

Combine peaches, raspberries, lemon juice and sugar in a large pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Reduce to a slow boil and cook until liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency. Stir frequently and mash the fruit as it begins to soften. (Or, give it a couple of spins with the immersion blender, but not too many if you like chucks of fruit in your jam.) Cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the peaches, roughly 20 minutes to 1/2 hour.

Stir in 2/3 cup of the lavender water and the fruit pectin. Bring back to a boil and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until syrup is thick and fruit is tender and partially dissolved.

Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.

Ladle hot jam into prepared, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at the top. Cap and process 10 minutes in boiling water. (Click here for complete canning instructions.)

Delicious with biscuits, scones, crackers, cheeses, just about anything you want to put it on; and so seductive you may want to enjoy it in private. It's a little like falling in love, but much less complicated.

Putting Up

Last weekend I put up fifteen jars of fig preserves, and this morning I added ten half-pints of rum-peach-pecan jam to the larder. I don't know how the southern colloquial expression for canning and preserving fresh fruits and vegetables came to be "putting up." As a child I figured it was because the filled jars were "put up" on shelves in a big walk in closet co-opted as pantry, like the one at my Aunt Sister's house.

Not to say that I came from a canning family. I do seem to remember my mother putting up cucumber pickles way back in the day, but once we got "the freezer" she never canned anything again. Rather she "put down" (it was a monster chest type affair) bags and boxes of every produce imaginable into its' giant frigid maw. As for fruit preserves, jams and jellies, we had Smucker's. That being said, Mama was never too proud to accept a jar of peach pickles or a pint of pepper jelly proffered by a friend or relative. Nor was I.

For years, until her untimely demise in 2009, I depended on the largesse of my cousin Mint and her generous friends, who invariably showered me with jars of fig preserves and pear relish whenever I was in Georgia. Not long ago, faced with the bleak realization that I was down to my last two pints, I had to do something.

Fortunately, preserving and canning has recently become retro-hip, and I had to look no further than Sur La Table at the Farmer's Market to find a class. I aced it.

Deceptively easy and, this is the best part, very forgiving, you don't need a lot of special equipment to get your canning on; maybe a pair of jar tongs, a magnetic "wand" for lifting the lids, and a great big pot for sterilizing and processing. (I use a tamale pot I bought for $16.99 at Vallarta Market in Van Nuys.)

Secrets, if there are any; choose fruit that is ripe but still firm, sterilize the jars thoroughly, and label them carefully, because a lot of this stuff ends up looking remarkably similar, and you don't want to be opening a jar of fig preserves when you're expecting pear chutney. Word.

For the particulars on the sterilizing and canning process, I'm going to refer you to a nifty website that can tell you all you need to know. Feel free to write me if you have any questions. Maybe I'll know the answers, maybe I won't. It's worth a shot.

So, without further ado, here are a couple of my favorite preserved indulgences. Eat these with White Lily biscuits. Scones will work well too, as will toast or a flaky buttered croissant. Better yet, find your own guilty pleasure to enjoy them with.

ANNIE'S FIG PRESERVES
(makes about 15 half-pints)


6 pounds unpeeled figs (any variety)
5 pounds granulated sugar
3 large lemons, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

Wash and stem the figs. Place figs in a large non-reactive container, (I use a huge Tupperware bowl), and pour the sugar over them. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.

Transfer fig and sugar mixture to a large non-reactive saucepan or Dutch oven, (minimum 8 quart capacity), breaking figs up slightly. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Reduce heat to low. Add lemon slices, and cook until figs are transparent and the syrup is thick about 2 hours, stirring often to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat and funnel into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in water for 5 minutes. Using jar lifter, gently lift jars from water. Allow jars to rest on counter or in a cool, dry place for a few hours or overnight until all jars have sealed. (You'll hear a chorus of little popping sounds as the seals "take.") Properly sealed jars will have a slightly indented lid.


RUM PEACH PECAN JAM
(makes about 10 half-pints)


12 cups peeled, sliced, yellow peaches (about 1 doz. large peaches)
3 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
12 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup dark rum
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup raw pecan halves, slightly broken

Combine peaches, brown sugar, lemon juice and 1/3 cup of the rum in a large non-reactive container. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.

Pour fruit mixture into a large non-reactive saucepan or Dutch oven and mash slightly. Bring to boil over medium high heat.

Reduce heat to low and cook until the peaches begin to look translucent, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add granulated sugar and increase heat to medium high, bringing the mixture back to a boil Boil, stirring almost constantly, for about 20 minutes, until liquid turns into a thick syrup.

Stir in pecans. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of rum. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. (Note: This jam works quite well without the pecans. It just depends on how you like it. Put them in or not, it's all good.)

Remove from heat. Funnel into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Continue as in fig preserves recipe. Enjoy!