Whatever is wrong with people? Why would you plant a peach tree and then let the peaches rot? Seriously. Peaches are summer gold to me so if you plant a peach tree and you don’t plan to pick the peaches, I will. And in addition to flat out eating the peaches, I will make peach pie, peach cobbler and peach jam. See here:
On my walks with Jake we’ve come across unharvested and rotting peaches and plums. I don’t get it. This is food. People pay big money for this kind of food. At least post a sign that says, “Please pick”or “Please give to the homeless.”
I’ve made a peach pie, peach jam, and plum jam which is the best, the very best. I made 4 quarts. And I’ve barely begun- there are so many peaches and plums waiting for me.
A general jam recipe:
The typical jam recipe calls for equal amounts of fruit and sugar. This does work best when it comes to consistency. However I like my jams tart and I’m not all that fond of excessive sugar, so I tend to start out with, say, half as much sugar as fruit and then taste. I also add 1/4 tsp. of salt to the fruit/sugar mixture. (Plums tend to be super tart so I usually add more sugar- if I have 6 cups of plums I add 4 cups of sugar.)
(FYI I do not add spices. I prefer the simple fruity goodness.)
Let the fruit, sugar and salt sit in a stainless steel saucepan for 1-2 hours. Put on the stove, cover, and bring to a slow simmer. Reduce heat and just barely simmer- with the cover sort of half-on half-off - until you reach jam consistency which can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. The jam should be thicker but not thick. If it’s thick while you’re cooking it, it will turn into candy in the jar. When the jam juice is clear and shiny and thicker, it’s done. Stir frequently so the jam doesn’t scorch. Ladle jam into clean jars. Stick in fridge. Enjoy!
Julia.
Sounds delicious - except that I don’t eat sugar in any quantity any more
Makes my brain go bye-bye even worse.
Enjoy.
Not fun, Alicia. Too bad. Sorry.
Sounds delish, but I can’t eat peaches. Had a bad experience when I was 16 and can’t even stomach the smell.
I want a piece of that pie!
Lucky me….I will take both Alicia’s and Amber’s share of the jelly and jam.
I remember going out to the woods beyond the city limits with my parents and brothers hunting for various berries and fruits. When we got home my parents made jams and jellies, and used some of what we found over ice cream or shortcakes for dessert.
Life was sweet!!!!
I made grape jelly once and it was fun and delicious.
Thanks for the flood of memories and the jelly recipe, Julia.
Hey Roberta - when I lived in Iowa we made elderberry jelly every year. It’s my ultimate favorite. Can’t find elderberries here and can’t find the jelly. Dang! We used to hunt for wild grapes and raspberries as well. Wild plums too. Yes, love making jams! You can have their share!
C’mon over, Sandra!
Too bad, Amber. I can never forget my sister throwing up strawberry Quik. In the car. On me. Never got over that. To this day I can’t look at the canister in the grocery store.
I saw some elderberries last year. If you ever get to Ohio in the summer time we can go looking for some and make us some jelly. YUM!