Be sure to also enjoy our Peach Ice Cream, Peach Cobbler and award winning Peach Pie during peach season. When summer hits and fresh peaches come into season, our local farmer’s market always has the BEST peaches. Every year I buy loads of yellow peaches, which get devoured before I even get a chance to make something with them and I have to go back for more. There is nothing better than a juicy peach! Fresh summer peaches are my fresh favorite fruit so I always have to replenish my stock of peach freezer jam so I can enjoy it any time I like all year round. It’s like bottling up summer and store bought peach jam has nothing on the homemade kind. Slather it on the usual suspects like biscuits, muffins, toast, or Lion House rolls, or use it as a delicious ice cream topping. It also makes a perfect glaze for my French Fruit Tart in place of the apricot preserves mentioned in the recipe and it’s delicious on crepes, pancakes, and waffles!
Why We Love This Peach Jam Recipe
The fresh peach jam turns out amazing, even if this is your first time making delicious jam from scratch. This easy peach jam recipe doesn’t requiring any cooking time or a hot water bath for boiling jars. It’s the best way to make jam for beginners! The fresh peach flavor is unparalleled, even by peach preserves which taste more processed and less like the original fruit that was used to make it.
Peach Jam Ingredients
Peaches Sugar Lemon juice Water SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
How to Peel Peaches the Easy Way
My grandma and mom taught me to can peaches when I was a girl, and they showed me the easiest way to peel peaches. First, bring a large pot of water to boil on the stovetop, then carefully lower 3-4 peaches in at a time and let them blanch for 30 seconds. Then lift the ripe fruit out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them into an ice water bath and ice in a large bowl for 30-60 seconds. The cold water stops the peaches from cooking and after that the peach peels will slip right off!
How to Make Peach Jam
Tips for Success
Use fresh, ripe peaches. Don’t use overripe peaches. The peaches should be slightly soft and have a little give when you squeeze them. They should also have great flavor to begin with for the best tasting jam. If they aren’t juicy and sweet, you won’t have a delicious batch of peach jam. Stir, stir, stir. If the sugar hasn’t fully dissolved, the jam might not set up. Make sure to stir the sugar and mashed peaches every 10 minutes for the first 30 minutes before adding the cooked pectin, then stir well with a sturdy wooden spoon for the final three minutes (set a timer!) to ensure that all the sugar has dissolved. Store it properly. Remember that freezer jam can’t be stored in the pantry like other processed jams because it is not shelf-stable. Be sure to use the right pectin. You are looking for the SURE-JELL pectin in the yellow box, not the pink box (low-sugar pectin) or liquid pectin. I haven’t tried testing all the different kinds of pectin because our family just really likes this kind. Use a wide funnel for filling jars. If you have one, it’s a big help so the jam doesn’t spill down the sides of the jars while you fill them.
Peach Jam Variations
Vanilla Peach – Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for a twist. It just might be your new favorite jam. Almond Peach – Add 1-2 teaspoons almond extract for another deliciously sweet variation. Almonds and peaches go so well together! Cinnamon Peach – Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the mashed peaches along with the lemon juice and sugar. Want even more warm spices in your jam? Try adding ¼ teaspoon allspice and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves along with ½ teaspoon cinnamon for a spiced peach jam. It’s absolutely delicious and tastes like peach pie! Raspberry Peach Jam – This is one of Paul’s favorites. Use 1 ½ pounds peaches and 2 cups fresh raspberries (about a pint) for a total of 3 cups of fruit once both are mashed and mixed together. Everything else – the sugar, lemon juice, pectin, and water – stay the same.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
We like to store our jam in half-pint jars in the freezer. As long as you leave 1/2-inch of space at the top of the jars of peach jam, it’s totally okay to freeze glass mason jars! You can use larger size containers, if you prefer, but keep in mind that once you thaw the jam it should be used within 3 weeks. To remedy the situation, I recommend doubling up on the SURE-JELL pectin. Instead of making one box of pectin, use two boxes with 1 ½ cups of water to help ensure the set of your jam. You can also use plastic containers with lids, but again, be sure to leave space for the jam to expand as it freezes. The set peach jam will stay fresh and delicious in the freezer for up to 1 year. Let a jar of jam thaw on the counter for 1 hour or in the fridge overnight before enjoying. If you forget to pull one out, you can always remove the lid and pop the jam in the microwave for a minute on the defrost setting to soften it enough to use.
Peach Ice Cream
Southern Peach Pie Recipe
Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
