J is for Jam Making #AtoZChallenge

So delicious. Especially with goat cheese. Summer, 2014. Pre-renovation kitchen, in all its 1980’s wall-papered glory.

Last night I scrolled through about 5,000 photos trying to find this one of when I last canned some jam. How in the heck has 4 years passed since then?  I could have sworn it was only 2 summers ago.

I’ve made peach jam a few times over the decades but not often, because frankly it can be a little unexciting. Unless you doctor it up with a bunch of spices or add apricots or perform some other kitchen sleight-of-hand, it can be bland, in my opinion. If you go to all the trouble to make your own jam, it should knock your socks off, I figure.

And then I came across a recipe using spiced rum (I forget why or how) and I was intrigued.

The recipe I used is here.

Anyways, I made this peach jam with spiced rum, and it was amazeballs. And it only lasted about 5 seconds in the house. And I should have made more, and I should have made more every summer since.

Do you preserve the bounty of summer in any way? Any favourite jam or canning recipes you’d like to share?

Rock on,

The WB

Can you guess my theme for this year’s A-Z Challenge? All of my A-Z posts this month will be tied into my theme, which is represented by the title of a song that was popular when I was a child. Can you figure it out as the days (and posts) go by? Leave your guesses (one per day only, please) in the comments. At the end of the challenge, I will reveal the theme. Have fun!

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

17 thoughts on “J is for Jam Making #AtoZChallenge

  1. I’m not much of a jam eater, usually with cheese, but any jam that is ‘amazeballs’ has my attention.
    … and I agree about peaches. They have too gentle a taste to hold up well in any kind of cooking.

    I haven’t done any kind of preserves in a few years – pickles and relish were always my favourite. I have found a cidery not far from here that makes an amazing spicy eggplant relish and now I can’t be bothered to make my own 🙂

  2. Jean R.

    I used to make jams and jellies but haven’t in a very long time. Spiced rum in peach jam is the only way to do it up properly. Trader Joe offers up some good products and so does the farmers market. I still miss my own mint jelly though. Your challenge blogs are getting us all ready for summer. I like that.

    1. Sarah, I am so sorry. I just found your comment now in my Spam folder! I only checked there because another blogger told me her comments were not showing up on ye olde blogge! Please let me know if this happens again.

  3. No jam-takers in our house, but last summer I tried my hand at pickled beets….cause I HATE beets any other way. Just opened a can the other night, shared around a table of friends, and they looked at me in awe. Felt pretty smug here, but in the middle of winter – which this still is in my books – that taste was heavenly!

    1. Pickled beets – something I enjoy but rarely remember to take out of the fridge to eat! They must be hard work to make – no wonder people look at you in awe, Cuz! I usually make mustard pickles every year. I have a very old recipe that everyone enjoys. Tastes nothing like the crap they sell in the stores.

  4. Teri Russell-Hill

    Deb, please share your delicious recipe with us! We don’t use much jam, so I haven’t made it in years … but if it’s amazing, then given as gifts would be a good idea :)d

Here's where the magic happens. I love comments!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.