Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Earlier this week a friend asked if I wanted to go pick white nectarines at her property while she was out of town. I never turn down the chance to harvest homegrown, organic fruits or vegetables. Never. So, I left work with a basket and headed to her house. I followed the directions on her text until I found myself standing beneath a white nectarine tree with drooping branches laden with ripe fruit. What a deliciously sweet smell of summertime! When my basket was full, I headed home and the first thing I wanted to make was jam. Ingredients makes 5 jars 9 to 10 cups white nectarines, rinsed and sliced into wedges* 1 cup organic granulated sugar (this is pretty tart, adjust sugar, as needed) 3/4 cup liquid (you can use water, wine, whatever you want - I used water, but have used leftover Prosecco for a great flavor) peel from 2 organic limes juice from 2 organic limes  Also needed: five jars, lids and rims *Note: my jam was a little bit bitter which...

One of Dylan's summer goals: cook more with Mommy. So, today we hit the farmers' market and picked up fruits with the idea of making some summer jams. *Note: we were trying to make some jam that we could share with Grandma, my mother-in-law, who can't eat sugar. So, I picked up Stevia and - as the package directed - used it cup for cup. Yuck. For the second batch, I halved the sugar. Still yuck. For the third batch, I halved it again. It was tolerable. So, I don't really like the way these jams turned out - only because of the Stevia. Use sugar and these would be stellar!* Step One: Wash, dry, and chop your fruit. Step Two: Infuse your liquid. I use 1 T dried flower petals to 1 C boiling water. Let steep for at least 3 minutes. Strain. Step Three: Cook your jam. To make the jam, place the fruit, liquid, and sugar into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring the jam constantly, for about 15 minutes....