Smoked Summer Peach Jam
Whenever I take the time to fire up the smoker, say for a slow smoked brisket or ribs, I like to use the extra small spaces on the grill to smoke things other than meat. One of my favorites was a small pan of sel guerande, a gray french sea salt with a little moisture still in it. The resulting smoked salt was intense and absolutely delicious.
This year, I had a few peaches in the fridge during July 4th, so I halved and pitted them and nestled the halves around my brisket (not touching, just next to it). Then, I chopped them up, peel and all, tossed them in a pan with coconut sugar and lemon zest. After about 30-45 minutes, I had a gorgeously deep maroon jar of fresh smoked summer peach jam. The smokey aroma of this sweet jam makes it endlessly pairable with sweet AND savory dishes. Imagine it on a turkey sandwich, or a bagel with almond butter and smoked peach jam, use it like chutney with roasted chicken or in a salad dressing to add sweetness and an edge. All of a sudden, your lunch tastes like it deserves a michelin star!
Its so easy to do, and if the grill is fired up, why not?!
Ingredients:
1lb peaches
1 cup coconut sugar (or ½ cup cane sugar)
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
A jar for storage
Method:
- To smoke your peaches: halve them, pit them and place them cut side down on your grill.
-If you are slow smoking at less than 250 degrees, leave the peaches on the grill for an hour or longer
-If you are grilling at a higher temperature, the peaches will be charred instead of slow smoked and cooking time is shorter, just a few minutes until you see char marks on the peaches
- Roughly chop your peaches and place them in a small sauce pan over low heat with the sugar and lemon.
- Cook and stir often until the peaches are melted and the jam thickens slightly, 30 minutes to an hour
- Chill and serve! It should last in the fridge for a couple weeks or longer.