Fresh-and-Dried Peach Jam

Name: Fresh-and-Dried Peach Jam
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 155 min
Ingredients: 2 ounces dried peaches, chopped (about ⅓ cup); 0.5 cup boiling water; 1 pound fresh peaches (3 medium), cut into a ½-inch dice (3 ½ cups); 8 ounces sugar (1 cup, 2 tablespoons); 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt

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By

Sarah Carey

Updated on June 22, 2021

double-crusted jam tart topped with finely ground berries — Photo: Paola + Murray

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 35 mins

Yield:

2 cups

For this summery batch of homemade jam, dried peaches are reconstituted and puréed, then added to a pan with fresh peaches, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and boiled down into a thick ambrosia. Using dried peaches lends an extra hit of intense fruit flavor and produces a jam that is perfect for filling this Double-Crusted Jam Tart.

Ingredients

2 ounces dried peaches, chopped (about ⅓ cup)
½ cup boiling water
1 pound fresh peaches (3 medium), cut into a ½-inch dice (3 ½ cups)
8 ounces sugar (1 cup, 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place a few small plates in the freezer. Place dried peaches in a small bowl; add boiling water and let stand until plump, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Blend reconstituted peaches and 2 tablespoons liquid in a small food processor (or with an immersion blender) until smooth; if necessary, add more liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth purée.
In a heavy saucepan, stir together fresh peaches, dried-peach purée, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring and mashing lightly with a potato masher until sugar has dissolved. Skim foam from surface. Cook, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it has the consistency of very loose jelly, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat.
Remove a plate from freezer; drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes, then nudge edge of jam with a finger. If jam is too thin and spreads, return it to a boil, re-testing with plates in freezer every minute, until it doesn't.
Transfer hot jam into clean jars; let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 weeks.