Can't get over the peaches!

Some of the most beautiful, ripe peaches I've ever seen were at the Westside Farmers Market yesterday. I ate 2 while volunteering with set-up, then I was put on peach-grilling duty. If you have never grilled peaches, I suggest trying it immediately. Tonight, really. Grilling peaches accentuates their sweet flavor... cut them in half, pit them and grill them as they are, or sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on them as I did yesterday. The market folks gobbled 'em up!

Peaches offer lots of vitamins C and A, fiber (especially with the skin), as well as potassium, folate, and calcium.

As if you couldn't get enough of these juicy, fleshy treats, we're making peach jam in my cooking class later today. What's more, instead of sugar, we're using Xagave - a natural sweetener from the nectar of the agave plant. It's 1.4 times sweeter than sugar, so you use less (and save calories). Xagave is also low on the glycemic index, so it won't spike your blood sugar. It also has calcium and iron in it! Check out http://www.xagave.com/ for more information...

Freezer Peach Jam
Ingredients:
6 cups peaches
1 packet of no sugar pectin
1 to 1 1/2 cups Xagave
3/4 cup water

Directions:
Remove pits from peaches and crush them with potato masher or in a blender. Mix the peaches and Xagave in a bowl. Mix the water and pectin in a saucepan and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the pectin mixture to the peach mixture and stir well.

Pour the mixture into canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch at the top. Put lids on the jars and let stand until jam is at room temperature. Store jam in the freezer for up to 1 year!