PREP: 30 minutes PROCESS: 10 minutes MAKES: 6 half-pints
4½ cups finely chopped ripe nectarines (2 lb.)
2 Tbsp. tequila or orange juice
2 tsp. ground ancho chile pepper
1 1.75-oz. pkg. regular powdered fruit pectin or 6 Tbsp. classic powdered fruit pectin (tip, page 230)
6 cups sugar (tip, page 231)
1. In a 6- to 8-qt. heavy pot (tip, page 228) stir together nectarines, tequila, and ancho pepper. Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in sugar. Return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.
2. Ladle hot jam into six hot sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.
3. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks. (Canning tips, pages 461–466.)
PER 1 TBSP. JAM: 48 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 0 mg sodium, 12 g carb., 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.
To prevent jams from boiling over (and making a huge mess), choose the size of pot specified in your recipe and stir constantly as it comes to boil.
