Zucchini Jam

Name: Zucchini Jam
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H50M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT10H20M0.000S
Yield: 3 half-pint jars
Ingredients: 3 pounds large zucchini; Three 1-inch pieces ginger, peeled; 1 large lemon, peel removed with a vegetable peeler, plus 2/3 cup lemon juice; 2 cups sugar; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

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Level: Intermediate

Total: 10 hr 20 min (includes resting, cooling and standing times)
Active: 50 min

Yield: 3 half-pint jars

Use your summer zucchini surplus to make a jam like you’ve never had before. Bright and zesty from the addition of lemon and ginger, this condiment lives somewhere between jam and chutney, leaving it open to so many uses. We like it on a charcuterie or cheese board, with crackers and cream cheese, alongside roast meats, as a sandwich spread or mixed into pimento cheese. The small amount of turmeric doesn’t leave a taste but adds a boost of sunny color.

Level: Intermediate

Total: 10 hr 20 min (includes resting, cooling and standing times)
Active: 50 min

Yield: 3 half-pint jars

Ingredients

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3 pounds large zucchini

Three 1-inch pieces ginger, peeled

1 large lemon, peel removed with a vegetable peeler, plus 2/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Directions

Use a vegetable peeler to remove lengthwise strips of peel from the zucchini, making vertical stripes all around. Quarter the zucchini lengthwise and remove and discard any seedy cores. Finely dice two-thirds of the zucchini and transfer to a medium Dutch oven.
Put the ginger and lemon peel in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add the remaining one-third zucchini and pulse until very finely chopped (smaller than the hand-diced zucchini but not quite a paste). Transfer to the Dutch oven, then add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and turmeric and stir to combine. Let sit until the zucchini has released some water and moistened the sugar, about 30 minutes.
Set the pot over low heat and cook until the zucchini releases all of its moisture (it will be very soupy), about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced to a thin syrup, 20 to 30 minutes. (It will register 225 to 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer.)
Transfer to a large glass or ceramic container and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight before serving or can using the instructions below.
Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet or line it with a clean towel. (This is to prevent the jars from directly touching the surface.) Set aside.
Wash your hands thoroughly. Sterilize three 1/2-pint canning jars and lids. To sterilize jars using a boiling water canner or a large pot, place a rack (or clean kitchen towel) on the bottom of the canner. Place the jars right-side up on the rack and fill the jars and canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes (at altitudes less than 1,000 feet elevation; see Cook's Note). Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner one at a time, carefully pouring the water from the jars back into the canner. Let the jars air-dry upside-down on the prepared rack or towel and sit undisturbed until you're ready to fill them. The rings and rubber-lined lids must be sterilized, too. Place the new lids in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer. Very gently simmer for 10 minutes (taking care not to boil). Turn off the heat and keep the lids in the water until ready to use.
For each jar, insert a sterilized wide-mouth canning funnel and use a sterilized ladle to carefully ladle in the jam, allowing at least 1/4 inch of headroom. Clean the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel and tightly secure the lids.
Place the canning rack in the canner and fill the pot with water; bring to a boil over high heat.
Using tongs, place the jars on the rack in the canner. The water should cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner. Return the water to a boil and boil gently for 5 minutes (at altitudes less than 1,000 feet elevation; see Cook's Note). Using tongs, transfer the jars to a towel to cool. If the seal works and fits properly, the metal lid will be slightly concave within 24 hours of processing. Store the unopened jars of jam at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once the jam is opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Cook’s Note

For both 1/2-pints and pints, add 5 minutes processing time for altitudes between 1,001 to 6,000 feet elevation and 10 minutes processing time for altitudes above 6,000 feet elevation. High-acid foods such as fruits, pickles, sauerkraut, jams, jellies, marmalades and fruit butters with a pH level of 4.6 or lower can be preserved by boiling water canning (low-acid foods, such as canned meats and fish, require a pressure cooker). Boiling water canning makes use of a large pot that’s tall enough to fully submerge canning jars by at least an inch of water. The pot is used for both sterilization of jars prior to filling and for boiling the jars once they are filled. You don’t necessarily need to purchase a boiling water bath canner if you don’t already have one. Any large, deep stockpot equipped with a lid and a rack can double as a boiling water canner. Keep in mind: The pot must be large enough to fully surround and immerse the jars in water by 1 to 2 inches and allow for the water to boil rapidly with the lid on. It is not necessary to sterilize jars beforehand if processing jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes or longer. The jars should instead be freshly cleaned and well washed in hot soapy water. Any jars processed less than 10 minutes must be presterilized and the lids and rings placed into simmering, not boiling, water. Rings can be reused, but lids should be new and used only once for boiling water canning. STERILIZING JARS  Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for one year. Making sure hands, equipment and surfaces in your canning area are clean is the first step in canning. Tips: Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with glass, plastic or metal lids that have a rubberlike seal. Two-piece metal lids are most common. To prepare jars before filling: Wash jars with hot, soapy water, rinse them well and arrange them open-side up, without touching, on a tray. Jars have to be sterilized only if the food to be preserved will be processed for less than 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath or pressure canner. To sterilize jars, boil them in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 10 minutes. Follow manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and preparing lids and bands. Use tongs or jar lifters to remove hot sterilized jars from the boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too: Dip the tong ends in boiling water for a few minutes before using them. All items used in making jams, jellies, preserves and pickles must be clean, including any towels and especially your hands. After the jars are prepared, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products. Find information on canning at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website: http://nchfp.uga.edu/.

Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for one year. Making sure hands, equipment and surfaces in your canning area are clean is the first step in canning. Tips: Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with glass, plastic or metal lids that have a rubberlike seal. Two-piece metal lids are most common. To prepare jars before filling: Wash jars with hot, soapy water, rinse them well and arrange them open-side up, without touching, on a tray. To sterilize jars, boil them in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 10 minutes. Jars have to be sterilized only if the food to be preserved will be processed for less than 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath or pressure canner. To sterilize jars, boil them in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 10 minutes. Follow manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and preparing lids and bands. Use tongs or jar lifters to remove hot sterilized jars from the boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too: Dip the tong ends in boiling water for a few minutes before using them. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, preserves and pickles must be clean, including any towels and especially your hands. After the jars are prepared, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products. Find Information information on canning can be found at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website: http://nchfp.uga.edu/.