Pepper Peach Jam

I love this time of the summer when there are so many fruits and vegetables ripe and ready to eat.  However there is always the issue of having too many and produce goes bad.  That is what led me to todays kitchen...experiment? I love the discount produce section at our local grocery store; bags of lettuce for $.50, containers of raspberries for $.89, and bags of fruit for $.99.  Last week I purchased a large bag of peaches (oops didn't check the bag too close) nectarines and after eating a few I noticed that the remainder of the bag was starting to get soft.  I had just made a round of desserts for the previous weekend including zucchini brownies, and key lime cookie cups using the huge bag of limes that I purchased on discount (sorry didn't post those delicious cookies...but here is a picture).

Though it's unusual I have lost my taste for desserts right now *shock* so the usual peach crisp, peach pie, or anything else of the sort was not sounding good.  Plus I knew we wouldn't eat it all and it would just go to waste anyway.  Unfortunately I had to throw away some of those good lime cookies and zucchini brownies too, my husband and I just can't eat that much sweet stuff.  Earlier today we had just picked a handful of fresh jalapeños from the garden, and while staring at all the canning supplies at Wal-Mart I saw a bag of spiced peaches seasoning and IT HIT ME! Peach pepper jam...err nectarine pepper jam!  So I purchased a container of pectin and headed home with a plan, in my head anyway.  I have never made jam before but growing up on a farm we always had fresh fruit jam.  I  think I know what I need to do so lets get to it!

 

I started peeling my nectarines, and eating all the skins :) why waste the goodies right?  I sliced them up and cut them into chunks.

Nice and juicy and right into the pot!

I remember reading/hearing to add lemon juice to homemade jellies or jams.  So I figured it wouldn't hurt.  I squeezed half a lemon into a bowl so I didn't squeeze the seeds into the pot.

I added 2/3 c. of sugar to the nectarines along with the lemon juice and turned the heat on low.

It is always so hard to guess how hot a jalapeño is going to be so I just started with two.  A little tip for all of you who are afraid to handle these spicy little gems:  rub oil on your hands before you start cutting them so the oil will protect your skin. 

 

It works well for me, just be careful the juice can get under fingernails and linger for a long time, so scrub your hands when your done and DO NOT touch your face or your eyes! ouch!  I tasted one small piece of the jalapeño to test it's hotness.  I figured that is the only way to figure it out.  Well, they are HOT ones this time, my lip was numb for a little while :)

Add the peppers to the pot give it a stir and wait, wait, wait.
 

 

 

When I added the peppers to the pot I realized that I bought the wrong kind of pectin! It's instant!

 

What! That is what Wal-Mart does to me...I get distracted and try to get out of there ASAP, that place is such a crazy mess. So I am just experimenting now.  Cook down the peaches nectarines and peppers until the consistency is right, let it cool, and use the no cook pectin that I bought.  I think it should work fine.

Here is the nectarine/pepper mixture after cooking for about and hour and being smashed with the potato masher.  Total I let the mixture cook for 2 hrs.

 

I smashed the mixture up a little bit more as it cooled down and added the pectin to the mixture slowly through a flour sifter (I didn't want it to clump together so it seemed logical to "sift" it in)

I am sure you understand I could not sift with one hand, stir with the other, and take a picture so forgive me for leaving that step out. 

 

I save all of my empty glass jars from pasta sauce, salsa, jellies, etc. so I grabbed two and filled them with the tasty jam.  As it cooled it started to thicken so I think the pectin did it's job.

YUMMMMY!

 

 

So a quick review:

about 2c. of peaches... er nectarines

2/3 c. sugar

1 T. lemon juice

2 jalepenos

2 T instant pectin

 

Cut fruit and pepper and start to cook over low heat in a small saucepan.

Add the sugar and lemon juice to the mixture and cook until desired consistency.

Mash with a potato masher if desired.

Add pectin (follow directions on regular pectin, which you would need to add while you are cooking)

Ladle into jars or containers and ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

*recommendations for peach pepper jam*

 

spread cream cheese on a cracker and top with jam

spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a plate and top with jam, eat with pretzels or wheat thins

marinate chicken or pork before grilling

spread on a cold turkey sandwich

dip for grilled cheese

dip for chicken tenders or chicken nuggets

dip for jalapeno poppers

 

Comment below and share how you like to use your spicy peach jam!

 

 

 

UPDATE: First taste test

I couldn't wait to try this jam so for breakfast I spread a little on my toast. 

I will say that it could be a lot spicier, so in the future I would ere on the side of spicy if you like the heat.  Maybe using 3 or 4 jalapeños instead of 2.  The consistency is great, the sweetness just right, so add another use for pepper peach jam: toast!

 

 

 

Keep "jammin" on at Baker & Brackenridge!

Love  & Light,

Jamie Jeanne

 

 

 

 

Champagne spiked watermelon

Last weekend we had a small BBQ with family to celebrate my husbands birthday.  My mother-in-law brought over a good sized seedless watermelon that we never cut up to eat. 

This weekend we have a weekend planned full of scooter rides, Volkswagen camping, hula hooping, and hillbilly dancing at Chicken Shit Bingo.  (Yes chicken shit bingo...I will save that for a post after the weekend)

Oh and drinking and lot and lots of good eating!

So I thought to myself we need to spike this watermelon and make it dangerously good!  The only alcohol we had on hand in the house was a bottle of some really good rum, some crème de menthe, some crème de cocoa, red wine, and a very large bottle of champagne left over from mimosas served for our post wedding brunch.  I didn't want to use the good rum, were saving that for some  rum punch.  The crème de menthe, crème de cocoa, or red wine somehow didn't sound so good with watermelon, so champagne it is!

 

 

First things first, gotta cut that thing in half.

 

I used my cookie scoop as a melon baller and scooped the watermelon. I have a large supply of empty mason and pasta sauce jars on hand for storing leftovers, soups, and sauces so I used them to pack jars full of watermelon.

Now  I just need to fill each jar full of champagne and let it soak!

Half of the watermelon used half of the champagne and filled up four of my pasta sauce jars. 
When I scooped the whole melon I had about 8 full jars of watermelon champagne mix.  I let it sit for about an hour in the fridge before I took a taste test, and let me say; it's delicious!  The champagne has a light enough flavor you can still taste the watermelon, but it adds some bubbly texture to it!  I can't wait to bring this out this weekend and share with friends! 

Cheers!
Love & Light,
Jamie Jeanne

Pinterest sweet tooth cravings!

I keep seeing these microwave desserts and snacks in coffee mugs on Pinterest, so tonight when the chocolate craving hit I decided it was the night to try it out. 

After browsing through some pins on my "tasty treats" board (http://pinterest.com/jamo117/tasty-treats/) I choose to make Nutella coffee mug cake.  Chocolate, gooey, warm, easy, cake in a cup.  Oh and did I Mention Nutella?  I mean c'mon if you haven't tried the stuff go to the store ASAP and pick yourself up a jar and go to town. I can eat the stuff right out of the jar, and on toast, bagels, crackers, ice cream, strawberries, bananas, peanut butter sandwiches, waffles, pancakes...or did I say right out of the jar?  I keep a jar of generic Nutella in the pantry from my local Aldi grocery store.  (I think I like the generic stuff is better)

Obviously trying this recipe was a no-brainer tonight and easy peasy.

Get your ingredients ready to go:
FLOUR
SUGAR
COCOA
OIL
MILK
EGG
NUTELLA (or a generic brand of Hazelnut spread)

 



Combine all ingredients in one mug:
4 Tbs. Flour
4 Tbs. Sugar
3Tbs. oil
3 Tbs. Milk
3 Tbs. Cocoa
3Tbs. Nutella
1 Egg

 



Mix together with a fork until mostly smooth. 

Now pop the mug into the microwave for 1 1/2-3 minutes depending on the microwave.  I microwaved mine for 3 minutes.

 

 

 

TADA! There you have it;  a mug full of gooey, rich, chocolaty, hot, cake!

 

 

Topped off with a little cookies and cream ice cream my husband and I had a super easy dessert. 

Next time I will only make one for us to share, it was way too much for either one of us to finish.  It is best with LOTS of ice cream too, it melts and makes the cake nice and gooey.  I have a great hot fudge recipe that would be great with this too....sharing hot fudge in a future post!

Happy Baking!

Love & Light,

              Jamie Jeanne