Why This Recipe Works

We began by pulsing the jalapeños in a food processor before steaming them with a small amount of water. This softened the chiles just enough and eliminated their tough outer skin. We favored cider vinegar over distilled white vinegar for the fruity, acidic backbone it provided. A little salt helped balance the acidic tang of the vinegar, sweetness of the peaches and sugar, and intensified the spicy, grassy notes of the jalapeños. Cutting the peaches into ½ inch pieces and adding them at the end of cooking left us with appealing pieces of peach. Leaving the skin on the peaches gave our preserves a beautiful rose-colored tint. Adding a small amount of lime juice at the end of cooking provided bright and subtle acidity which worked well with the heat from the jalapeños and the sweet peaches. Because this jam is so much juicier than our other savory jams, we used a chilled plate to test for set. If we cooked the jam until a spatula left a trail, it had an overly thick and odd candied texture that was difficult to spread.

Before You Begin

To make the preserves spicier, reserve and add the chile seeds. Do not use white peaches here; they are not acidic enough for safe canning using this recipe. For safety reasons, be sure to use bottled lime juice, not fresh-squeezed juice, in this recipe. These preserves can be processed for long- term storage; see the instructions in this article.

Instructions

Place small plate in freezer to chill. Pulse jalapeños in food processor, scraping down bowl as needed, until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Combine processed peppers and water in Dutch oven, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 7 minutes.

Uncover and simmer until water has evaporated, about 30 seconds. Stir in sugar, vinegar, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until liquid has slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in peaches and cook until peaches have softened, about 10 minutes. Using potato masher, mash fruit mixture coarse, leaving some larger pieces intact. Stir in lime juice and simmer until mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

To test consistency, remove pot from heat. Place 1 teaspoon mixture on chilled plate and freeze for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through mixture on plate; mixture has correct consistency when your finger leaves distinct trail. If mixture is runny, return pot to medium heat and simmer for 1 to 3 minutes longer before retesting.

Let preserves cool slightly. Using funnel and ladle, portion preserves into two 1-cup jars; let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until preserves are set, 12 to 24 hours. Serve. (Preserves can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)