The arrival of this weekend finds me feeling like a domestic goddess.  Why, you inquire?  Because I made jam.

I’ve always wanted to make the fruity spread, so when the all-too-beautiful Carmelite sisters sent me home this week with a surplus of jalepeños from the garden, I knew it was time to get creative in the kitchen.  I did some research and found this recipe for peach and jalepeño jam.  Judging by the title of the blog from which I nabbed the recipe, Homesick Texan, I knew the source was legit and that I would be getting some fiiiiine southern guidance.

Let’s pump, pump the jam.  (too much?  okay, okay…)

the ingredients are beyond simple: peaches, jalepeños, sugar, and lemon juice. you’ll also need some glass mason jars.

To peel the peaches easily, bring a pot of water to a boil, and cut an ‘x’ at the top and bottom of each peach as such:

Boil the peaches for a minute or so and then transfer them immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Bob for peaches?

When they’re cool enough to handle, peel/rub the skin off.  At first, I was skeptical about my ability to know whether or not all the skin was off, but fret not, the flesh is silky smooth in contrast to the tougher outer skin.  In other words, you’ll know.

Cut the peaches into slices and pour the sugar over the peaches in a saucepan.  Mix it up and put over low heat.  Let the peaches macerate (confession: I had no idea what ‘macerate’ means so I had to look it up; simply put, it means ‘to break down’) for anywhere from 1-2 hours.  In the beginning, the peaches will look like this:

and by the end of their maceration(?), they’ll look something like this:

At this point, toss a plate into the freezer.  Add the diced jalepeños and lemon juice to the macerated peaches, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and let those flavors get good and acquainted for about forty minutes while you occasionally chaperon by stirring the pot.

Bring the plate out of the freezer and place a spoonful of the mixture on the plate.  If, after about a minute, the jam does not run when you tilt the plate, it’s ready!  Pour the mixture into the mason jars, let cool, and put them in the fridge to solidify and chill.

When you’re ready to enjoy the fruits of your valiant labor, I am certain you will find that the sweetness of the peaches balances perfectly with the slight kick of the peppers.  It is so good.

I had planned on making David’s favorite homemade biscuits this morning to showcase with this delicious jam, but my desire to sleep for an extra hour won out this time as it always does and instead I reached real quick and dirty for the refrigerated sort.  I suggest spreading the jam on said warm biscuit along with creamy butter and gobble it up with sausage and eggs!  Enjoy.