Nancy, here's a link to a thread with a recipe for brandied peaches. Does it help at all? Seems like Susan uses quite a bit of brandy, but she has conflicting proportions of sugar and water...I assume she means 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, 10 cups sugar to 5 cups water, plus 2 cups brandy. Does your source for the extract give any recommendations for what amount of extract replaces what amount of liquor?

If you search [banana rum] on this forum, you'll find a thread called Banana Jam Question with a recipe called Jeanne's Decadent Banana Split Conserve that calls for 2 tablespoons of rum or rum extract and yields 9-10 half-pints. So I think 1 T wouldn't be too much. What about adding it, taking a quick taste, and then stirring more in if you need more? If anything, the flavor should be stronger when it's warm, so that should be a good test to avoid adding too much.

Please post back with your results for future reference! I'm sure others would love to try this too.

Melissa

Here is a link that might be useful: peaches thread

Real brandy extracts tend to be alcohol based anyway, about 35%, so if you want the jam to be alcohol free, an extract may not offer much advantage.

Carol

I'm just wondering how the extract would taste -- because I know that people who like "brandied" fruits or jams love the flavor and aroma of real Brandy. Not certain if the same is true of extracts.

I do know that real Rum tastes wonderful in peach jam, because I made two versions last year. The first ...

Here is the recipe I followed, along with the notes I made.

6 cups frozen peach slices, thawed (unsweetened) or fresh peaches sliced
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
3/4 cup dark rum, preferably Jamaican (divided)
2 cups granulated sugar

Wash 6 half-pint jars and keep hot; prepare the lids. Combine the peaches with the brown sugar, lemon juice and about half of the rum in a large pot and stir the mixture well. Stir well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pour the fruit mixture into large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer until the fruit chunks start turning translucent, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring several times. If the jam becomes too thick before the fruit clarifies, add 2 or 3 tablespoons water.

Add the granulated sugar and cook the jam rapidly over medium-high heat, stirring almost constantly, until a spoonful placed on a chilled saucer and refrigerated for a few moments wrinkles instead of running when the saucer is tilted sharply. (Remove the pot from the heat while testing.) Stir in the remaining rum and cook the jam for 2 minutes, stirring.
Ladle the boiling-hot jam into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rim. Attach the lid. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
*Note: For Mango Jam use 6 cups peeled, chopped firm-ripe mangos and 6 tablespoons strained fresh lime juice in lieu of the lemon juice.
posted on GardenWeb, Harvest Forum, by Booberry85 from Readinglady. Adapted from "Fancy Pantry" by Helen Witty (Sharon Maasdam)

Here is a link that might be useful: Simpler recipe for Peach Jam with Rum

I don't think you'll have any problems with the safety of your jam or with the set, if you use extract. I often add almond extract to cherry jam, it seems to intensify the cherry flavor somehow.

I've also added Cointreau to blueberry jam and brandy to peach jam without any ill effects on the texture of the product, although I quickly learned that if you do add alcohol to your jam you'd better have a big pan because you can create a volcano in short order!

Annie

I made the Brandied Peach Jam today (with real Brandy) and was very upset that it turned out like gummy bears. I cooked it too long? and it must have gotten past 220 degrees, so my pan was too wide and the bulb not covered properly. It had no flavor - no peach or brandy flavor, just sugary gummy goo. I give up. Since I don't like brandy anything anyway it was a waste all around, and Carol, it isn't the alcohol so much as the taste. My DH said he would soak some raisins in the "left-over" brandy and that I would like it in when he put it in my favorite dessert - bread pudding. We'll see.

I did have GREAT success today making Raspberry Chocolate Jam using frozen berries and unsweetened chocolate. Filled more jars than recipe stated and luckily I was using the Platinum 1/2 pint jars so I could stack the extra in the BWB. It is just so delicious. I did not sieve out any seeds. This one I will make more of for gifts and for sale, and forget about brandied anything. I do think Annie has the right idea for Cointreau for Blueberry Jam, and Almond Extract in Cherry Jam. Those two jams I would like. I do have lots of peaches yet to can, and I do like rum, so kathy_in_washington's recipe will get a try tomorrow.

Thanks for offering your help, members. I do appreciate the experienced advice y'all offer so freely.

Nancy

I wasn't sure if the alcohol was the issue or not. For some it's very important to avoid all alcohol, and I thought that was your concern.

I totally understand on the brandy flavor. I loathe cherries in brandy when it's 100% but like the Ellie Topp recipe, which uses a much reduced amount of brandy in a sugar syrup. The same with rum in peach jam.

I might also add that many jams with liqueurs benefit from aging, at least 6 weeks. You will find that the flavors meld over time and the alcohol is less noticeable.

It does sound as if your jam overcooked. The pan sounds ideal for jam. It's the thermometer that's the issue. The frozen plate test will probably work much better.

Carol