Spiced Peach and Nectarine Jam with Candied Ginger

Vanilla sugar, the ripest peaches and nectarines.

Cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks.

Lemon juice.

Candied ginger.

Pure gold in a jar for cold, gray and snowy day to come.


Spiced Peach and Nectarine Jam with Candied Ginger
Adapted from Ball Blue Book of Preserving

1 quart peeled, pitted and chopped peaches and nectarines (about 8)
7 cups vanilla sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 large cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice
1 pouch liquid pectin
½ cup candied ginger

Put fruit, sugar and lemon juice with spices in a large, deep saucepan over bringing slowly to a boil until sugar melts. Add liquid pectin and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam. Add the ginger.
Ladle into hot pint jars and put tops and rims on the jars. Process in hot boiling water for 15 minutes.
Remove from water bath and let cool. When tops pop, tighten lids and store.

This batch made 5 pints.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Spiced Peach and Nectarine Jam with Candied Ginger

Panna Cotta with Lemon Thyme Peaches

Every now and then a recipe jumps out of the pages of a magazine and demands to be made.
That was exactly what this Panna Cotta with Lemon Thyme Peaches did to me in late June when Gourmet’s July issue arrived.

I dreamed about this recipe.

Cream, honey, Greek yogurt with sugared peaches and lemon thyme.
Bliss. Swoon.

I thought about it for weeks. I kept talking about making it.
The opportunity never presented itself.
Until one of Groom’s dear friends came for a visit and dinner was planned.
Around dessert.

I know, I know there have been Panna Cottas all over the place this summer. We had a dreamy version in Apalachicola last spring at Avenue Sea.
This one, though.
It’s something special.
And with the last of this summer’s peaches, it’s perfection.
I should have made it sooner.


Panna Cotta with Lemon Thyme Peaches
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine July 2008

1-1/4 tsp unflavored gelatin from packet
2 tbsp water
1-1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup wild honey
1/8 tsp almond extract

1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh lemon thyme
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
3 peaches, washed and sliced thin

Put water in medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand a minute to soften.
Add the heavy cream and salt and heat, stirring, until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat.

Whisk together yogurt, honey and almond extract. Then whisk in the gelatin mix. Put in four small bowls, glasses…your choice and refrigerate. (Recipe says 8 hours, mine were ready in 4.)

About 20 minutes before serving, take the panna cotta out of the fridge. combine peaches, lemon thyme and sugar and let sit until ready to serve. Spoon over top of panna cotta and get ready to swoon.

Makes 4.

Panna Cotta with Lemon Thyme Peaches