~ New Fashioned Peach-Rhubarb Jam

Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,

We dogs have been trying to please our Girl. She found reference to a recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam and was beside herself with desire. Imagine her dismay when it was not real authentic jam, but called for Jello as the thickener. She would not rest until we could find and old fashioned recipe for Peach Rhubarb Jam.

It turns out that maybe it's not an old-fashioned thing, because we found information nowhere. We kept tripping upon the same Jello recipe from various sources. So we, the Hounds Who Cook, put our noggins together and came up with this quite stellar recipe. Now our girl is sitting pretty with a tray of Scones and Peach-Rhubarb Jam aplenty. Another catastrophe averted.

We combined and contrived to make this recipe from two, nay three sources. Easy Rhubarb Jam, Peach Jam, and Homemade Pectin. And another site that actually tells you how to use the homemade pectin (nobody tells you how to use the homemade pectin...) Making Pectin 101. We are posting Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam first because we don't want Guthrie's Jam with Homemade Pectin to daunt you. Adventurous learners will want to try that one. In that case, allow two days to make homemade pectin (it drains overnight) and three hours to make jam.  For Eli's Easy Jam, three hours should do.

Eli's Easy Peach Rhubarb Jam
(because Rhubarb-Peach is somehow hard to say)
Skip the pectin boys, this recipe just uses Lemon Seeds from your summer lemon squeezing. Elias B likes to keep it simple. Have a little lemonade whilst you cook.

2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped
1 cup water
3-1/2 c. sugar
1 lemon, halved and juiced. Reserve peels and seeds - put seeds in a tea ball or cheese cloth pouch. 

Place peaches, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mash peaches. Add rhubarb, lemon skins (with pith), and tea ball with seeds. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.

Place a small plate in the freezer for testing jam later.

Pour the peach mixture into a large pot (including peels and tea ball with seeds) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the jam constantly, for about 15 minutes. Skim the foam from the surface as the jam cooks.

Reduce the heat to medium and keep a constant simmer, stir frequently. After 15 minutes, drop a spoonful of jam onto the plate from the freezer. The jam is set when it holds its shape on the cool plate; otherwise, continue cooking over medium-low heat until set. Ours took about 22 minutes.

Remove the seed bag and lemon halves. 

Pour jam into sterile jars and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.

Notes from Elias: We did not find a tea ball and simply set a strainer in the cooking jam, which kept the seeds contained. We also did not find a canner - oops. Our Girl sold that at the last sale when she was sure she would be Moving Within A Few Months. Here we still are, and no canner. For jams, we just flip them upside down on their caps as soon as we screw on the tops and let them cool that way. Just make sure the top is sealed (does not give when you press on the center of the lid), if not store in the fridge!


Guthrie's Peach-Rhubarb Jam with Homemade Pectin

2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths
2 pounds peaches (ripe but not overripe; on the under ripe side), peeled and chopped

1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3Tb)
[AMT] = 3/4 cup orange pectin per cup of fruit/juice (recipe follows)
[AMT] = 3/4-1 cup sugar per cup of pectin (aim for 3-1/2 cups sugar?)

Sterilize 5 pint canning jars and lids. Place a small plate (for testing the jel of the jam) in the freezer.

Place peaches, water, and lemon juice in a large measuring bowl. Mash to crush peaches. Add rhubarb. Measure the total volume.

Add 3/4 c. homemade pectin for every cup of fruit and juice. (Set aside the equivalent amount of sugar as pectin plus 1/2 cup. This is science kids. Don't mess with science. If you use more pectin than sugar your glorious jam won't set.)

Bring mixture to a boil over med-high heat and cook until fruit is the desired doneness. Add 3/4 to 1 cup sugar per and stir until dissolved. (15 minutes in all - boiling fruit and adding sugar and cooking further.) Lower heat to medium and keep jam at a simmer, stirring to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan, for at least 15 minutes. Skim off foam and discard as jam cooks.

Place a small spoonful of jam on the plate in the freezer. Jam is set when it holds its shape on the plate. Otherwise, keep cooking over medium-low heat until set.

Pour jam into sterile jars to bottom ring of neck. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean damp towel and secure the lids and rings. Process pint jars in water bath for 5 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool undisturbed. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for up to one year.

Notes from Guthrie: Here's a helpful tip. To peel peaches, plunge into boiling water for 1-2 min - peels will slough off easily with your fingers. Then slice in half and remove the pit.




Notes from Eli: Here's a helpfuller tip. Use a peeler to peel those peaches and get the freestone kind that fall right away from the pit when you slice them. 

Orange or Lemon Pectin
2 lb. seeds and peel (including pith) from 6 lb. of oranges or lemons
2 c. water
2 Tb. lemon juice

Chop the citrus peel finely, including the pith. Mix with water and lemon juice and let stand 1 hour. Bring to a boil (in a non-reactive pan). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 min. Strain through cheese cloth overnight. Bring to a boil over med-high and boil to reduce by 1/2.

# # # This marks the end of our journey into Peach-Rhubarb Jam.