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It’s my favorite food time of year: peach season

Celebrate stone fruits with a simple jam.
 
Toast with caramelized peaches
Toast with caramelized peaches [ MICHELLE STARK | Times ]
Published June 23, 2020

We must continue to be thankful for the little things during these confusing and stressful times.

Like the fact that even though it is sweltering summer, it is also stone fruit season.

Stone fruits include peaches, plums and cherries, for sure the top three on my list of Best Fruits. Sweet, tangy and a little floral, stone fruits work in sweet and savory dishes. They can bring brightness to things like salsa and meat dishes, and provide the colorful, juicy base for pies, cakes and crumbles.

One of my favorite ways to use peaches this time of year is in a simple peach jam, which reduces the fruit to its sweetest, juiciest essence.

It only requires sugar and peaches and, if you have a lemon, some juice and a bit of the zest. Sometimes I like to add a bit of vanilla extract for even more depth. Don’t worry too much about it becoming totally jammy. If it’s still rather chunky with big fruit pieces, that’s good. If it’s a little runny and not super thick, that’s good, too.

The jam is fantastic on a piece of toast topped first with whatever spreadable cheese you have on hand.

I also like to use it as a finishing condiment for pork and chicken. It makes a great marinade, when mixed with something a little bit acidic like lime juice or white wine vinegar. Just add to a bag or bowl with the meat you’ll be cooking and rub the marinade all around so it coats the meat. It’ll add a bit of sweetness, without overpowering your meal.

You can also put your peach jam to use in a bowl of oatmeal, swirling the jam into the hot oats. Or dollop it atop vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer treat.

Toast With Easy Peach Jam

For the jam:

3 or 4 fresh ripe peaches

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup white sugar

For the toast:

2 thick slices bread of your choice

Ricotta cheese, goat cheese or cream cheese

Roughly chopped pistachios

Honey

Salt

Make the jam: There’s no need to remove the skins of the peaches, though you can if you want. Slice the peaches into large chunks, removing the pit and placing the chunks in a pot.

Set over medium heat, add lemon zest and lemon juice and cook for about 15 minutes, until the peaches are soft and the juices have released.

As the peaches soften, stir frequently, and use your spoon to break them up a bit. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce and cook over low until jam is as thick as you want it to be, probably another 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool completely before serving. It will also thicken a little bit as it cools. This should make about 1 cup of jam.

Make the toast: Toast the bread in a toaster or oven, then spread cheese of your choice on top. Dollop the cooled jam on top and spread evenly across the toast. Sprinkle pistachios on top, then drizzle with honey. Top with a pinch of salt, flaky if you’ve got it.

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Source: Michelle Stark, Tampa Bay Times