This is one of my favourite jams to make. It starts with a light caramel, and ends with a shot of bourbon. Peaches are very sweet when they are ripe, so there is not need for a large quantity of sugar in the jam, and if you use small jars, it can be consumed quite quickly. When it comes to storing, I recommend keeping them in the fridge. It stays fresh for longer and tastes better when it's cold.
One very important thing to keep in mind, as this jam includes high temperatures and alcohol - do not pour bourbon directly into the caramel. Please be careful. You need to cook the fruit for a few minutes before adding the bourbon, please do not skip that step.
Ingredients
1 kilogram fresh ripe peaches
120 ml cold water
100 grams granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
200 grams jam sugar
Preparation
Wash the peaches and remove the pits, then chop them up, put them into a large blender, along with 120 ml of cold water, and blend until completely pureed. Set that aside for the time being. Take a large pot, with a heavy bottom, put in the granulated sugar, and shake the pan to evenly distribute it in the pot. Pour in the 2 tablespoons of cold water and gently swirl the pan to moisten the sugar. Heat the sugar over medium high heat and cook it for 5 minutes, from the moment it starts to boil. Watch it carefully and do not leave the stove, as it can burn quite easily.
Once the sugar is a lovely caramel colour, carefully add the peach puree. It will splash, so be careful. Quickly mix it with a wooden spoon, then reduce the heat slightly and let it cook for a few minutes, just so the sugar can dissolve into the fruit. Add the bourbon and cook for a few more minutes. Finally, add the jam sugar and cook it for 7 more minutes. Because peaches naturally do not have much pectin in them, they need more time to start gelling. Once the 7 minutes are up, remove the pot from the stove, and immediately fill and seal the jars. Yields about 750 grams of jam.
