Today’s Musings:

Summer shouts at me through the squeals and laughter of the neighborhood children. Its scent is Barbacoa de Cordero slowly grilling on the neighbor’s Weber.  It passes by on wispy clouds riding rapids through cornflower skies.  I run my fingers through summer’s mane of fragrant, apple-green grass.  These long, hot days kiss me through the ripe, juicy nectarines crowding my straining tree.

Just as July 4th in my neighborhood is certain to be punctuated with a cacophony of illegal fireworks, the same holiday never fails to produce the first globes of fleshy goodness ready for plucking. Harvest time is brief, yet prolific, with pounds upon pounds of sweet fruit, shiny with taught skin that barely contains the succulent flesh.  I’m  overwhelmed with the task of making use of this summer bounty. 

If only I could rescue each luscious orb from Newton’s law, plucking them from the tree before they fall, but each morning I find a dozen plump globes bruised and broken upon the ground, their potential wasted. In my effort to salvage the masses, I bubble large caldrons of steamy nectarine jam, resulting in dozens of jars “put up” for later in the year.  One woman can only eat so much jam, however, so my sister drove from LA yesterday for her own CPR canning efforts.

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Today’s Recipe:

Nectarine Jam (No Pectin)

• Servings: About 6 half-pint jars
• Print

Capture the bright flavors of summer now so you can enjoy them and reminisce during dark winter days to come.

Ingredients

• 3lbs. diced nectarines, pitted with skin on
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

Directions

Boil all ingredients in a heavy bottom pot for 20-30 minutes until jam has cooked down to the correct consistency. To determine when your jam is set, use the plate test – let ¼ teaspoon of jam sit on a frozen white plate for 30 seconds and then push it with your finger. If it wrinkles up, you’ve reached your setting point. Once jam is the correct consistency, add to sanitized jars, seal, and process in a water bath for 5 minutes. This recipe should result in 5-6 half-pint jars of jam.

For additional information on the canning process, please visit Ball Mason Jars Canning 101.