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White Nectarine with Habanero Jam

Source of Recipe

From "It Starts with Fruit" by Jordan Champagne


Recipe Introduction

"White nectarines are definitely one of the most popular fresh fruits in my house and I have been reluctant to turn their fresh perfection into a jam. It can be difficult when a fruit is so sweet when it is fresh because it only gets sweeter when it is cooked. In creating this recipe I was going into the fridge for some ginger to add to the jam and noticed some habanero peppers. They just sort of jumped out at me and before I even thought about it, I was chopping them up and adding them to the pot. Experimenting with flavors can be just that simple. To me, this jam is perfection, but you can easily sub the habanero for the original ginger that I was going for."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 ½ pounds white nectarine
â—¦ ½ cup lemon juice
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups organic cane sugar
â—¦ 1 habanero pepper, finely chopped, with or without the seeds (I included them)


Recipe

• Day 1:

Remove the pits from the nectarines and chop the fruit into chunks. I leave the skin on for nectarines as it is very tender and adds a gorgeous blush color to the jam. Put the nectarines in a large bowl and drizzle the lemon juice evenly over the fruit. Pour the sugar evenly over the nectarines, cover, and let macerate at room temperature for 12 to 48 hours. If you need to let them sit longer, place the bowl in the refrigerator.

• Day 2:

Place five plates in the freezer so they are ready for your gel test at the end. Prepare seven 4-ounce jars for storing the finished jam. Put the contents in a nonreactive pot large enough so that it is no more than one-third full and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring when needed to avoid scorching, until the desired gel set is reached. Carefully dice the habanero pepper and add it to the pot. Immediately wash your hands with warm, soapy water, along with anything else that touched the pepper, being careful not to spread the oils. This jam can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to reach a medium jam consistency. Start your first gel test about 10 minutes after you begin cooking.

Once the jam reaches your desired consistency, remove it from the heat and fill the jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims, apply the lids, and process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Jars will keep for up to one year.

Makes seven (4-ounce) jars