Nectarine
Jam
One year, I asked on Facebook if anyone had any fruit trees that they needed picked. In exchange for picking all the fruit, I was asking to keep some of the fruit for myself. However much they were willing to give me was fine with me. Well, one woman offered to let me have every nectarine that was left on her tree. I had four big paper grocery bags full and I was thrilled.
When I got home, I had to come up with some ways to preserve all these nectarines I had sitting in my car. This was several years before I really started preserving my food, so I was frantically searching the internet. I cam across a recipe that I have never found again for nectarine jam. There are tons of recipes out there, but this one was special. It had cloves in the recipe. Cloves made the nectarine jam go from good to OMG, this is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.
Now, I make this jam every year and I share it with the woman who still lets me pick the nectarines from her tree. It’s the perfect arrangement, especially while I wait for my nectarine trees to mature and bear fruit.
The cloves in this recipe are optional, but I highly recommend adding them. They really do make all the difference.
Recipe
Nectarine Jam
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
8 cups chopped nectarines (do not peel) **
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp cloves
Directions
- Wash and chop the nectarines into small chunks.
- Combine the nectarines, sugar and lemon juice in a large pot. The mixture should only come about half way up the sides of the pot to avoid spilling over as it cooks.
- Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil (a boil that does not stop when you stir it)
- While the mixture is heating up, prepare the water bath canner, jars and lids.
- Once the mixture reaches a full boil, stir constantly for about 10 minutes or until it reaches 220 degrees. Use a candy thermometer or test on a cold plate. To test the jam, place a small amount on a plate that has been in the freezer. If it thickens like a jam, it’s ready. If it’s still runny, keep boiling and test it every minute or so until it reached the jam consistency (soft ball stage).
- Remove from heat and ladle the hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.
- Add the lids to finger tight and process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars and set on the counter, checking the seals after 24 hours. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Try other seasonings too! Cinnamon would be a good alternative to the cloves or even in addition to the cloves. Chili pepper could be added for some heat if you like spicy jam.
- **Never use white nectarines. They are less acidic than yellow nectarines and cannot safely be canned.
Organic Cloves
I love these organic whole cloves. I found an old coffee grinder at the antique store that I use to grind all my spices, but you could easily use something more modern. Buying whole cloves keeps them fresh and offers the best flavor.
Dehydrating Nectarines
Dehydrated nectarines are a great snack when you’re craving something sweet. Plus, they’re way easier than peaches because you don’t have to peel them.