Homemade Peach and Cardamom Jam

Prepare your equipment by sterilizing three 400g glass jars and their lids. Place a small saucer in the freezer to chill; you will use this later to test the jam's setting point.

Slice each peach half into six to eight uniform pieces. Place the fruit into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat along with the lemon zest and juice. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the peaches release their juices and begin to soften.

Using a pestle and mortar, finely crush the reserved cardamom seeds. Add the crushed seeds and caster sugar to the peach mixture. Reduce the heat to low and stir continuously until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the jam to a rolling boil. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the jam doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. Boil until the mixture reaches 105°C on a sugar thermometer.

If you don't have a thermometer, perform the wrinkle test: spoon a small amount of jam onto the chilled saucer and wait 30 seconds. Draw a line through it with your finger—if the surface wrinkles and the gap remains clear, it is ready. If it's still liquid, boil for another 2 minutes and check again.