Cinnamon Peach Preserves - SMS

I am a little sad as I write this post, this will be my final post for Sweet Melissa Sunday's. Sweet Melissa Sunday's was the first group I joined when I first began blogging . The SMS bloggers are a great group and it's been so fun getting to all of them. Several of the bakers from SMS have formed a new baking group, Club: Baked! Thanks to Karen of Karen's Cookies Cakes and More for hosting SMS and creating Club: Baked.

As SMS draws to a close and I reflect on all of the recipes we've made, I contemplate which one's were my favorites. These preserves are in my top five. One of the reasons it's my favorite is because preserves have always been one of those recipes I wanted to make but thought it was too difficult. This recipe has shown me making preserves easy and fun. The flavor combinations are endless.

Summer brings beautiful, juicy peaches to the Midwest, making this the perfect August recipe. One of the unique things about Melissa's recipe is she uses Granny Smith apples instead of pectin. I added a bit of vanilla bean paste to this mixture, right before spooning it into the jars. The vanilla blends nicely with the cinnamon and peach flavors.



Our host for this week is Tessa of The Cooking Chemist. Tessa was the first blogger I "met" who lived in my town. I immediately became a follower and enjoy her blog. She's since graduated from pharmacy school and moved to Phoenix but I still follow her blog. You'll find this delicious jam recipe on her blog and you can check out the other SMS bloggers here!

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday!

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - Revisited - SMS

SMS is drawing to a close and we're only posting twice a month. I miss posting SMS weekly. It's been a great way to end or start the week. The SMS bakers are such a talented bunch. It's been fun getting to know them. This month's host, Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Advertures, is one of those talented members! You can find the recipe on her blog. If you want to check out the other SMS members thoughts on this jam, you can find the links to their blogs here!



I made this week's SMS recipe last Fall. I've given several jars to friends and everyone raves about it! Funny how I always thought jam was so hard to make. If you've never made jam, give this recipe a try. It's easy and the flavor is amazing!

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - SMS

I've always been a little intimindated by the thought of making jam. When I mentioned to one of my co-workers I was thinking about making jam. She said she hoped I had better luck with jam than she did. Okay, do I really want to try this? A couple of months ago, I ran across this recipe in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. It sounded easy and delicious. Besides this way I will be done with a SMS recipe ahead of time! :) Melissa's recipe says you can make this with the traditional canning method, which I knew I didn’t want to do, or you can freeze. Freezer jam is perfect for me.

If you’ve never made jam, I would recommend trying this recipe. It’s easy and fun. I love that this recipe uses Granny Smith Apples as a natural source of pectin. This recipe was a great example of something being so much easier than I expected. The most challenging part determining when the jam had cooked long enough.




This week's SMS recipe is Plum Raspberry Preserves. Thanks to Margot of Effort To Deliciousness for choosing this week's recipe. Margot has a feature on her blog, she gives every recipe an Effort to Delicousness ratio. You can see all of the other SMS gals preserves here.