Homemade Stone Fruit Jam
Alex Elliot Howery
Makes about 2 cups (640g)
Few things beat homemade apricot jam on toast with lots of butter. Alex makes this once every few weeks during stone-fruit season, when apricots or peaches are cheap or they’re getting a bit too soft in the fruit bowl. You can, of course, use any stone fruit that you have to hand, and feel free to swap out the orange for any other citrus that you have. Alex likes to serve this jam on French toast for breakfast. This simple recipe doesn’t require sterilised jars – it’s fridge jam, made to be eaten right away. It will keep for up to 1 month in a clean jar or container in the fridge.
Ingredients
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) pitted stone fruit:
apricots
plums
nectarines
peaches
cherries
Citrus zest and juice:
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
Spices and herbs
grated ginger
ground cinnamon
ground cardamom
rosemary leaves
thyme
1 cup (230 g) caster (superfine) sugar
Method
Place the fruit in a wide saucepan and add the citrus zest and juice, 1 teaspoon ground spices or 1–2 tablespoons chopped herbs along with ½ cup (125 ml) water. Simmer over very low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the fruit is soft and collapsed. If it’s looking too pulpy, add an extra 3tablespoons water, along with the sugar.
Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–25 minutes until thick and glossy. Allow the jam to cool for 5–10minutes before carefully spooning into clean jars. Wipe the rims clean with clean paper towel and seal immediately. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Combinations we like
- Plum, lemon and ginger
- Apricot, orange and ground cardamom
- Nectarine and lime
- Peach, lemon and rosemary
This recipe is presented in partnership with Smeg Australia.