Small Batch Peach Melba Jam
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I said there wouldn’t be a recipe this week because I'd be too busy with a deadline and custom cake order, but I was organized and focused enough to jot this down for you from my scattered iPhone Notes. This is the peach raspberry jam that I use in my Masa Peach Melba cake for the bakery. I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel protective of the recipes I use for the bakery but I just don’t. My thoughts are that it takes nothing away from me or the bakery if someone has the recipes, and it’s really as simple as that.
I make jams on a small batch scale just like I do most things at the bakery for now; this one will yield you about 2 cups. For the jam cake I like to use an Acid League fruit vinegar as my acidic component. This came to be after I realized while testing that I’d forgotten to pick up lemons and saw the Acid League vinegar staring at me from my kitchen counter. Into the jam it went. Adding a bit of cold butter knocks back some of the foam that develops while cooking; typically, this foam is skimmed off because it can make jam a bit cloudy. I like the butter in here though because I think it complements the vanilla; if you want to keep your jam dairy-free just skim off the foam and omit the butter, it’s not a necessary ingredient in this jam.
Classically, peach melba is a dessert consisting of peaches, sometimes poached in a simple syrup, served with ice cream and raspberry sauce. I leave on the peach skins because I don’t mind them and I try to cut down on waste, but you can peel the skins if you’re not feeling it. I also do not push the jam through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of the raspberry seeds — I like to see the seeds! If you want to watch how other bakers utilize peaches from skin to pit, I loved this Reel from Olivia Wilson (@olivemajor) on Instagram.
Next week is my birthday so there will be a mini birthday cake recipe, and I teach you how to make sprinkles!
Small-Batch Peach Melba Jam
Yield: about 2 cups
6 ounces raspberries, rinsed
4-5 small peaches (no more than 1.5 pounds), rinsed and sliced
197 grams (about 1 cup) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, optional
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
¼ cup fresh lemon juice or fruit vinegar, such as Acid League Strawberry Rosé Living Vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
In a medium-size stainless steel saucepan set over medium-high heat, add all the ingredients. Stir everything frequently using a sturdy rubber spatula. Once the fruit starts to soften a bit, mash some it using either a wooden spoon or a potato masher. The sugar will eventually dissolve and the mixture will come to a rolling boil and then foam.
Keep the jam on medium-high heat the entire time you’re cooking, about 10-15 minutes for this small batch size. The jam is done when it has thickened, leaves a trail when you drag a rubber spatula through it, and has reached a temperature of 220F/104C.
Transfer the jam to a clean glass jar container and let it cool before placing it in your fridge where it can hang out for about a month. There is no need to follow proper canning technique for a batch of jam this small.