A big congratulations to ya Robin!!

Beverly

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Congratulations!

Wow! That is really something! Congratulations, Robin!

So please remember us as you are flinging Ball jars at the paparazzi that will be hounding you for photo ops! LOL

Linda

Wow, I'm impressed. Congratulations Robin.

Ann

Well Done, Well Done!

Ooooo - congrats to you, Robin! And the recipe sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it.

Barb

Woo-hoo! And I rarely say woo-hoo. Good for you!

Robin, that's GREAT! Congratulations!

Congratulations. I know first hand how wonderful your jams are. You deserved it. You are daring and reative in your jams. I envy that.
Sherry

LOL at Linda, don't worry I won't be flinging the jars at the paparazzi, they would break and I have something of a jar thing. I will just throw the used lids at them. note to self, save used lids to fling at paparazzi.

Thanks for all the congratulations, it feels better then winning!!

-Robin

p.s. Lewis told Sebastian, my 5 year old and he said, "Mommy's jam should have won, it is the best. I am going to add a sewing box to the other person's jam." Lewis thinks that was to make it taste bad so i would win

HEY ROBIN: Way to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats. How about an Autograph !!!!!
Lou

Woohoo! Way to go Robin! Will you share your recipe with your humble friends too? It's good to hear from you, we miss ya!
Ellen

Congratulations Robin! How great!

Cindy

Congratulations!

That is awesome news!

Alexa

Wonderful! Congratulations! Oh Happy Day!

I found the recipe on the web site, sounds yummy.

Nancy

Wow! Congratulations and thank you for the link!

Michelle

Congratulations!!!

Here you go, the award winning recipe. As a note I don't like it when it is first made. It takes the sugar a day to dissolve and until then it is too sweet for me. Julian, who is now 2 loved it right away and wanted a bowl full and a spoon.

-Robin

Raspberry Nectarine Jam with Cointreau & Drambuie
By Robin B. of Burlington, Vermont
Featuring Ball® Simple Creations® No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
Makes about 5 (8 oz) half pints

You will need:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 1.59-oz pkg Ball® Simple Creations® Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
2 cups peeled and chopped nectarines
2 Tbsp Drambuie
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Cointreau
2 cups raspberries
?5 Plastic Ball® (8 oz) Freezer Jars

Directions:
1.) STIR sugar and contents of pectin package in a bowl until well blended.
2.) COMBINE nectarines, Drambuie, lemon juice and Cointreau in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring constantly, until nectarines become soft and transparent, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool 15 minutes.
3.) ADD raspberries to nectarines and mix well. Crush raspberries and nectarines with a potato masher. Add fruit mixture to pectin mixture. Stir 3 minutes.
4.) LADLE jam into clean jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

Congratulations! That might actually be jam even I'd like. It does sound delicious. Way to go!

Sally

That is fantastic! I am amongst greatness in the canning world.

I will be making this (I think I already copied and pasted). Of course in my area, it's going to be very pricey to buy the raspberries but well worth it I'm sure.

Awesome! Way to go. The recipe looks fabulous!

Tracey

Cathy, When I made the recipe I used Cascadian Farms organic frozen raspberries. The beauty of using frozen raspberries is you do not have to wait to let the nectarines cool off, the raspberries cool them.

-Robin

The jam sounds delicious, Robin! Way to go!

Robin, Cool (literally). I'll use frozen just as the "Master" does.

Robin how cool is that!! Good for you.

Robin! You were a winner here even before the contest but glad the world knows your talents now too.

btw, this mommy is far from a shabby canner...look at these shelves. Maureen

Congrats Robin!! I love any jam you make!

That's fantastic Robin! What a great sounding recipe - I just love freezer jams! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Sherry, Thanks, that is really flattering. many other folks are daring and creative in their jams, you just saved the jars as art instead of opening them.

I hope they do the contest again. I am formulating another entry already. Recipe contests seem to be addictive. A friend of mien won the Hannaford one and has been entering them like mad since. She sent me the link to this one.

-Robin

p.s. Seems there is a wireless netowork on vacation ;-)

Congratulations! That is so cool! I'm going to have to see if I can get my hands on some nectarines so I can try your recipe.

I can't wait to see what you come up with for next year!

oh man--BIG congratulations to you! you must be very proud!

Congratulations, Robin, I'm not surprised at all, every one of your jams I've tasted has been delicious, although I have a couple of favorites. My FAVORITE is your tomato marmalade, which I need the recipe for again because I can't find it. Sigh. And I'm supposed to be organized.

My second favorite was the grape with the herbs that Ashley kept picking out because she thought there was "something in" the jam. LOL Heathen children.....

At any rate, do keep entering those contests. Heck, we can say we knew you before you were famous!

Annie

Congrats from me too Robin!!

David

Congratulations, Robin . . . your jam sounds delicious! From one contester to another: now you are hooked on contesting :)

I missed this! Congrats Robin!

I've tasted your jam at Canny Camp. Yum! I have fond memories of the "jam bar" we set up!

Annie, here you go. I personally never use beefsteak tomatoes like the recipe states. I find the better the tomatoes I use the better the marmalade. My favorite is brandywine. Also I find the result is better (and quicker) if you use high heat and stir constantly. This could also be why my yield is always much higher.

-Robin

Tomato orange marmalade

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 day

Makes 3 (1/2-pint) jars.

3 lb ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and chopped, reserving any juices
3 cups sugar
2 juice oranges, quartered, seeded, and sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
1 lemon, quartered, seeded, and sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
1/8 teaspoon salt
Special equipment: 3 (1/2-pint) canning jars (optional) with lids and screw bands; a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot (at least 9 1/2 inches in diameter)

If desired, sterilize jars, lids, and screw bands.
Chill 2 small plates (for testing marmalade).
Cook all ingredients, including reserved juices from tomatoes, in pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Simmer, stirring frequently as marmalade thickens (to prevent scorching) and adjusting heat as needed, until marmalade tests done, 50 minutes to 1 1/4 hours. Begin testing for doneness after 50 minutes: Drop a spoonful of marmalade on a chilled plate, then tilt; it should remain in a mound and not run (if necessary, remove pot of marmalade from heat while testing).
If not processing, cool marmalade, uncovered, then chill in an airtight container (preferably glass).
If processing, drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Ladle marmalade into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. Run a thin knife between marmalade and jar to eliminate air bubbles.
Seal, process, and store filled jars (and boil marmalade in jars 10 minutes).
Let marmalade stand in jars at least 1 day for flavors to develop.
Cooks' note:
 Marmalade keeps, chilled, 3 weeks.

One more note, I always slice the peels as thin as possible. Actually I use my mandoline, and most of the time I remember and use the holder so I don't slice my finger. Only one small scar on my right thumb due to this recipe;-) Also this recipe calls for all the peel, no scraping etc. The marmalde tastes much better after a day or so because of this. Although Sebastian is always happy to clean out the pan for me right away.

-Robin

Thank you, Robin. I remember that this was Sebastian's favorite jam, and there's nothing quite like it on warm popovers (also your recipe).

Ah, so the slice of thumb is what makes the recipe so good? :-)

Annie

Annie, your comment about the peice of thumb reminds me of a story from my childhood. As a child I did not like fresh squeezed orange juice (heathens cab change!!), except at a restaurant on Nantucket called the Woodbox. I claimed the difference was the proprieter, Mr's Toutine juiced her thumb as well. Anything to save face I guess.

-Robin

Doesn't surprise me one bit, Robin. Congratulations!

-Lori (who wishes we could be jammin' together. Some day...)

Heathens can change???!!?? Thank you Robin, you have just given me hope for my children, who still prefer Prego to homemade spaghetti sauce!

LOL on the orange juice. Maybe it was whatever else they used the juicer for?

Annie

Congratulations! Your strawberry jam that I received in a previous swap was wonderful. You should have won 1st. place (and thanks again for the jelly ladle that you sent me, I use it all the time.)

Congrats, Robin -- you must be over the moon! Thanks for sharing the recipe, it sounds delicious and I'm definitely going to try it out. Freezer jam makes me particularly happy come January!

Annie, one of the 2 head faemers at my CSA wrote a story about when she was in college, agricultural college. First she said she picked all the arugula out of every salad she ate. Next she made pesto for the whole school out of pepper plant leaves. She wrote this article to show that even as a 20 something her palate was not done maturing. She was hoping to make many of the parents feel better. As for the juice, there was no real difference. The same way as Sebastian is more adventurous in a restaurant then at home.

Tricia, Thanks. This jam is like a raspberry/freezer version of that one. Actually I realized my error when entering that would have kept me from winning. Part of the contest was a creative use for the jam presented in a creative way (poem, MP3, Scrapbook page etc). The example scrapbook page just showed 2 girls eating waffles with jam on it. Not a real recipe. ASo I did a scrapbook pagr showing muffins with jam baked in the center being made by Julian (okay he was really "helping" me make pancakes) and eaten by Sebastian (who was really just posing with a muffin for me). Well the grand prize winner and best creative use winner both had real recipes for jam use.

Its okay, I did not really want the grand prize, I am not really sure if we are a disney family. I did however want the $500 gift certificate to Williams Sonoma for the best creative use. Oh well, maybe next year.

As for the ladle, you are welcome. I just ordered myslef a second one. It is just too useful. Bet you think of me often at this time of year;-)

Lori, we will definitely make jam together one day.

-Robin