Name: Peach-Bourbon Jam
Total time: 15 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 vanilla bean; 1 pound ripe but firm yellow peaches , halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups); 1 cup sugar; 1 cup bourbon; 1/2 Granny Smith apple , peeled and grated (1/2 cup); 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice

Why This Recipe Works

Peaches and bourbon are a classic pairing, but when developing this jam recipe, we found we couldn’t taste just a couple of tablespoons of bourbon when we added it toward the end of cooking (when most jam recipes involving alcohol call for adding it). Upping the amount made more of an impact, but it also tasted too harsh. Adding a full cup of bourbon at the beginning of cooking eliminated the harshness and left sweet bourbon notes. A shredded apple lent enough pectin to avoid the need for the commercial product, and leaving the skins on the peaches intensifed the peach flavor and imparted color to the jam.

Before You Begin

Do not use white peaches here; they are not acidic enough. Also, be sure to use bottled lemon juice here, not fresh-squeezed juice, for food-safety reasons. McCormick Gourmet Madagascar Vanilla Beans are our favorite.

Instructions

Place 2 small plates in freezer. Using paring knife, cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Stir vanilla bean and seeds, peaches, sugar, bourbon, apple, and lemon juice together in large saucepan. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Once sugar is completely dissolved, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peaches are softened, about 10 minutes.

Off heat, crush fruit with potato masher until mostly smooth. Return mixture to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and discard vanilla bean.

To test consistency, place 1 teaspoon jam on chilled plate and freeze for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through jam on plate; jam has correct consistency when your finger leaves distinct trail. If jam is runny, return saucepan to heat and continue to simmer 1 to 3 minutes longer before retesting. Skim any foam from surface of jam using spoon.

Meanwhile, place two 1-cup jars in bowl and place under hot running water until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; shake dry.

Using funnel and ladle, portion hot jam into hot jars and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until jam is set, 12 to 24 hours. (Jam can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)