White-fleshed peaches have a delicate taste, a delicate taste that accentuates the ethereal aroma of mastic. The combination of white peaches and a magical touch of Chios mastic is irresistible, especially with ancient Greek Pelanos bread. White peach and Chios mastic jam offers an otherworldly gastronomic experience; you are advised to concentrate every sense on this hedonic moment.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 50 minutes |
| Passive Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 1 kg white peaches
- 700 gr white sugar
- 1/2 cup water filtered or purified
- 1/2 lemon freshly juiced
- 1 teaspoon Chios mastic tears
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Wash the fruit. Peel, pit and dice the white peaches.
- Put the water and diced white peaches into a large saucepan. The saucepan should have a thick base for a good slow simmer. Set the saucepan on medium heat. Bring to boil and allow the fruit to soften, about 5'. Remove from heat; allow the fruit to cool in the saucepan.
- Measure the cooked fruit in cups. For every cup of cooked fruit add 3/4 of a cup of white sugar. For a kilo of uncooked white peaches you will need approximately 700gr white sugar.
- Place a couple of tablespoons of sugar and the Chios mastic tears in a food processor and pulse to get a fine powder.
- Put the fruit and sugar left in the saucepan. Stir the mixture and let it come to the boil over medium-low heat.
- Use a wooden spoon to remove any scum that floats to the surface. Stir the jam well. Simmer for 40’, until it begins to thicken. Stir in the ground mastic-sugar mixture and lemon juice.
- Once the jam has reached 106°C (222.8°F) on a thermometer it should set. If you do not own a food thermometer, spoon a little of the jam onto a cold saucer, allow it to cool for a few minutes, then push your finger into the jam. If it wrinkles, it is ready. If not, cook the jam for a few minutes and test again. Remove from heat and cover with a tea towel.
- Allow the jam to cool in the saucepan. Store your white peach and Chios mastic jam into sterilised jars.
Recipe Notes
Notes
- My recipe is executed with Byzantine finesse: in the Byzantine cuisine one of the most favoured aromatic used in baking is mastic.
- Brown sugar can be substituted for white sugar; as a result, brown sugar gives a crimson colour to the jam. The jam made with white sugar has a golden orange colour. My photo will help you observe the difference in colour.
- It is quite easy to make a jam; the process of making a jam requires one's full and undivided attention. It is advised to remove the saucepan with the jam from heat, if one is busy doing something else.
- Store your white peach and Chios mastic jam in the refrigerator.
Jars sterilisation process
You should make sure that your jars are clean to maintain the freshness of the jam. Sterilise your jars by washing them (and their lids) thoroughly in hot soapy water. Rinse them well. Heat oven to 100°C. Place the jars and their lids on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 20'. Using a funnel, ladle the white peach and Chios mastic jam into the hot jars, filling to just below the rim. White peach and Chios mastic jam should be stored in the refrigerator.
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White peach and Chios mastic jam