I’ve never made jam before, so I read up a lot of resources before finally arriving at a recipe that would work for the fruits I had in mind. It turned out just like what I wanted – sweet and tangy at the same time, with gorgeous specs of vanilla and the sweetest fragrance any jam could ever have. This is testament to the fact that real vanilla beans can make everything better! I was a little worried when in some places I saw people use pectin to help set the jam, but the jam set perfectly without any of it.
I love this jam on toast with ricotta cheese but I’m already thinking of ways to use this in my baking!
Peach and Cherry Jam Infused with Vanilla
14 oz / 400g peaches
7 oz / 200g cherries
14 oz / 400g sugar (my fruits were very sweet) Use up to 600g of sugar.
1-2 cups hot water
Juice of 1 lime
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and the gorgeous caviar scraped out.
- Stone the cherries and cut into two.
- Dunk the peaches in hot water and then cold water to remove the skin. Cut into chunks.
- In a jar or a bowl add the fruits and sugar and toss to coat. Pour in 1 cup of hot water. Add the scraped out vanilla as well as the stick. Also squeeze out the lime juice. Let this sit overnight or until 24 hours.
- If you like a smooth texture now is when you can use the stick blender to give you a more consistent jam. I like mine chunky so skipped this step all together.
- The next day, transfer this to a large post and let it simmer, stirring frequently for 40-50 minutes or until the texture is a little more runny than what you’d like (because, as it cools it is going to thicken). Add up to 1 more cup of water whenever you feel that the preserve is rather chunky.
- Once cooked, let it cool. Transfer to sterlised jars to preserve.
Excellent resource for canning and preserves: “How to make marmalades”