Homemade Peach Jam
Sweet, golden, and packed with the concentrated flavor of sun-ripened peaches, this homemade peach jam recipe uses powdered pectin for a reliable set every time. With just five ingredients and about 30 minutes of active cooking, you'll capture the taste of summer in every spoonful.
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven - 6 to 8 quart (5.7 to 7.6 L)
- Water bath canning pot with rack
- Half-pint canning jars with lids and bands - 5 to 6 jars, 8 oz / 240 ml each
- Jar lifter
- Canning funnel
- Potato masher or food processor
- Candy thermometer - optional, helpful for checking the setting point
- Ladle
- Large bowl - for ice bath and holding mashed peaches
- Sharp paring knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Damp kitchen cloths - for wiping jar rims
- Small saucepan - for heating lids
- Slotted spoon - for blanching peaches
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh peaches - mashed, about 3 lbs or 1.4 kg whole peaches, roughly 8 to 10 medium peaches
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 30 ml
- 1 box powdered fruit pectin - 1.75 oz or 49 g, such as Sure-Jell Original
- 5 cups granulated white sugar - 1 kg
- 0.5 teaspoon unsalted butter - 2.5 ml, optional, helps reduce foaming
Instructions
- Fill a large canning pot halfway with water and heat until simmering. Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Place lids in a small saucepan with boiling water (do not boil). Keep jars warm in the canning pot or a 200°F (93°C) oven until ready to fill.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Score an 'X' in the bottom of each peach, then blanch 3 to 4 at a time for 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to the ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes, then slip off the skins. Cut in half, remove pits, and chop into chunks. Mash with a potato masher or pulse in a food processor until chunky. Measure exactly 4 cups of mashed peaches and transfer to a large pot.
- Add lemon juice and the entire box of powdered pectin to the mashed peaches, stirring until fully incorporated. Add butter if using. Place over high heat and stir continuously until the mixture reaches a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Once the peach mixture reaches a full rolling boil, add all the sugar at once and stir quickly. Return to a hard rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately, skim any foam from the surface, and work quickly as the jam begins to thicken.
- Remove warm jars from the canning pot or oven and set on a towel. Using a funnel, ladle hot jam into each jar leaving 1/4 inch (6 mm) headspace. Wipe rims clean with a damp cloth, place a lid on each jar, and screw bands on fingertip-tight.
- Lower filled jars into the simmering canning pot, ensuring water covers them by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a full boil and process for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude). Turn off heat and let jars sit in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and place on a towel with space between them. Do not move for 12 to 24 hours. Listen for the 'ping' of sealing lids.
Notes
- Use fully ripe but not overripe peaches that smell intensely peachy and yield slightly to pressure.
- Never double the recipe; make two single batches back to back for proper setting.
- Keep pectin and sugar separate until the right moment to ensure proper activation.
- Test jam set before filling jars: place a teaspoon of jam on a frozen plate and push it after 30 seconds; if it wrinkles, it's set.
- Measure the 4 cups of mashed peaches exactly, as accuracy is crucial for proper gelling.
- Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark pantry for up to 1 year.
- Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks for best flavor.
- If a jar doesn't seal properly, refrigerate immediately and use within 3 weeks.
- For freezer storage without canning, pour jam into freezer-safe containers leaving 1/2 inch headspace and freeze for up to 1 year.
- If jam seems stiff after refrigeration, let sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes or warm briefly in the microwave.