Sept Can Jam

Another month that starts with a confession. This year we have canned cherries, plums, apricots and peaches. So when stone fruit was announced as the September Can Jam assignment, I knew that I was not going to do a new project, but, instead, cheat and write about something from earlier in the year. It is not that I don't love all of our stone fruit creations, but after 40 pounds of apricots, 50 pounds of peaches, 20 pounds of cherries and some fine scrapes from the tree climbing involved in the plum jam, I have enough jars to get me through the year.

So this is a recipe from last month's peach extravaganza. I have large blackberry bushes in my backyard. So large that along with having as many berries as I can eat, I end up freezing many pounds of berries for use later. Last year later included blackberry "cheese," gin, and jam. This year it has already led to blackberry lemonade and the recipe below: Peach-Blackberry Jam. I have in mind some sort of blackberry-lime creation later in the year, but am open to any suggestions.

Peach-Blackberry Jam

8 cups peaches, skins removed and roughly chopped
8 cups blackberries
4 cups sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 box Pomonas Pectin

Make calcium water with packet included in Pomona's pectin by combining 1 t calcium powder with 1 cup water. Shake well to combine.

Combine the peaches, blackberries and 16t calcium water sugar in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Add lime zest/juice and stir to combine. Meanwhile combine sugar and 12t pectin powder. After the fruit mixture reaches a boil, add sugar and pectin, stirring vigorously. Continue to simmer until jam beings to gel. Test for a set by placing a teaspoon of jam onto a very cold saucer, leaving to cool then pushing the jam with your finger to see if it wrinkles up: even if the wrinkle is only on the surface and faint, the jam really should be done (and don't forget it will set more in the jar).

Fill jars with the hot jam, wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water canner for ten minutes.