peach jam- EPIC FAIL

peach jam, originally uploaded by All Things Mimi.

So this was my first attempt at peach jam. So sad, it was.

The original recipe calls for 2 quarts of sliced fresh peaches and 6 cups of sugar. I went to the farmers' market and bought 3 pounds of peaches, which would have been enough to get the 8 cups- but after slicing one and tasting it, I got greedy.

I decided to half the jam recipe so I could have peaches left over to slice and eat fresh. Sounds like a good idea, huh? BIG MISTAKE!

Here's the original recipe- my notes on the epic failure follow.

Old Fashioned Peach Preserves

2 qts. Peeled, sliced peaches
6 c. sugar

Combine peaches and sugar in a large, shallow glass or plastic container. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 12 to 18 hours.
Pour peach mixture into a large dutch oven; slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil gently until peaches become transparent and syrup thickens (1 ½ to 2 hours), stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Skim off the foam with a metal spoon.
Quickly ladle preserves into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch head space; cover at once with metal lids, and screw bands tightly. Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes. Yield about 7 half pints.

Ok kids- let's review the game tape and figure out how we screwed up!

First of all- I really don't think halving this was a good idea. Or if you do half it, use a smaller pot. I used my chili pot and it was too big. I think if I had used a 2 qt. saucepan, for instance, and reduced the surface area, it might have worked.

What I made turned out more like caramel with peach slices in it. I only boiled mine for half the time, cuz if I would have boiled it for an hour and a half I'd have to throw away the pot and start over. I think 4 cups of peaches and 2 1/2 cups of sugar yielded about a cup of stuff for me. I can't really call it jam.

But worse case scenario, if I can chip it out of the jar and reheat it- we'll have some mac daddy peach sauce for home made vanilla ice cream!