My cousin, Erin, posted these memories on Facebook. She painted such a clear picture that I, too, was transported back in time. I asked her to share them here on PurpleMonkeyMaNOR.com and she kindly agreed…

For the past two days I have been 10 years old again. I have walked through my grandfather’s peach orchard, felt the peach fuzz from the tree sting my skin, and had the juice from an over ripe peach trickle down my arm to my elbow. I have walked on dry and cracking Texas ground as a warm breeze runs through my hair. I have felt the steam rise from the scalding pots filled with peaches in my mother’s yellow kitchen. I heard my family laugh as we worked together to fill the jars full of golden peaches…… The aroma in my home is full of memories!

Ingredients

Peach Jam (based on the recipe inside a box of SURE-JELL)
–4 cups finely chopped peaches
–Juice from a freshly squeezed lemon
–5 1/2 cups sugar

Cooked Jam Directions:

1  Bring fruit, lemon juice and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan.
2  Add a box of SURE-JELL.  Bring to a boil again.
3.  Boil and stir constantly for one minute.
4  Pour into sterilized canning jars.  Cover with a two piece lid.  Turn over immediately.  Keep the jar upside-down until completely cool.  (This should seal the lid.  If it does not, eat right away.)

Peach Jam Made with Honey

(Based on a Sara’s Eats Plum Jam recipe)
–4 cups finely chopped peaches
–Juice from a freshly squeezed lemon
–1 1/2 cups honey

1. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
2. Continue to simmer until thick.  (Maybe an hour.)
3. Put in a plastic container. Store in freezer.

For you canning wanna-be’s like myself here’s one way to sterilize canning jars from Country Living Magazine. I also asked why she canned one and froze the other and she said it was because of the lack of directions for canning on the second recipe. What??? You just follow the directions? Hmmm.

Erin is a super mom and has four awesome kiddos to prove it. Thank you, dear Cousin.