Peach Jam Recipe: Easy Homemade Preserves

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Peaches are the flavor of summer. Use this simple homemade peach jam recipe to preserve that sweet, golden fruit flavor and enjoy it all year. This recipe uses less sugar than traditional jam recipes and really lets the delicious peach flavor come through. This homemade jam is a favorite at our house.

I used to make freezer jam with regular pectin from the grocery store. It always bothered me that those recipes on the pectin box called for more sugar than fruit! The jam was ok, but it just seemed too sweet, and I didn’t feel great about all the sugar.

A few years ago, I discovered Pomona’s pectin. This pectin uses calcium water to gel the jam, so you can use less sugar in your recipes. Less sugar means the delicious fresh fruit flavor isn’t overwhelmed by a ridiculous amount of sugar. Fresh peaches are naturally sweet and fragrant, so using simple ingredients and Pomona’s pectin creates a wonderful jam filled with delicious peach flavor.

This easy peach jam recipe will soon become your favorite jam!

Tips for Canning Peach Jam

This is a simple hot water bath canning recipe with only 5 ingredients. If you are new to canning and looking for the best way to preserve fresh peaches, this recipe would be a great place to start!

This recipe makes a full canner load of 7 pints of jam, perfect for stocking your pantry or sharing with friends and family. I like to can jam in pint jars for my family of 5, but if you want to can in smaller half pint jars, you can use this same recipe! Half pint jars are perfect for gift giving or if you prefer a small batch jam approach.

Ingredients:

Fresh Peaches: You can use fresh or frozen peaches in this recipe with wonderful results. Take advantage of peach season when the fruit is at its peak! This recipe works beautifully with regular yellow peaches, white peaches, clingstone peaches, or even slightly overripe peaches. Just make sure you use ripe peaches and remove any pits or damaged parts. You can use leftover peaches from other recipes too! Peaches should be peeled and them mashed using a potato masher. This will leave some peach chunks in your jam. For easy peeling, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds before plunging into ice water or cold water.

Calcium Water: A small packet of calcium is included in each box of Pomona’s pectin. Mix this powder with water and then add the appropriate amount to this recipe. Just follow the detailed instructions included with the Pomona’s pectin to mix up the calcium water.

Bottled Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice adds brightness and helps preserve the beautiful golden color of the peaches.

Sugar or Honey: This fresh peach jam recipe gives you flexibility! You can use 3 cups of sugar, or 2 cups of honey for every 12 cups of prepared peaches. That’s a jam sugar ratio I can live with! You could even experiment with brown sugar or other sugar substitutes for different flavor profiles. Delicious peach jam without too much sugar.

Pomona’s Pectin Powder: This is the fruit pectin that makes this recipe possible. Unlike other pectin found found at the grocery store, Pomona’s pectin allows you to control the sweetness level. You can buy a 6 pack of this special pectin at your local food coop or online.

Tools:

How to Make Canned Peach Jam Recipe

Preparing Calcium Water

Before you begin, prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Preparing Jars

Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot soapy water and gather lids. Keeping everything at room temperature or warmer before adding hot jam helps prevent jar breakage.

Preparing the Peach Jam

Peel, pit, chop, and mash peaches using a potato masher. The best way to peel peaches is using the blanching method: blanch in a large pot of water at a full rolling boil for 30 seconds, then plunge into ice water. The skins will slip right off! Measure 12 cups of chopped peaches or mashed peaches into a large stockpot or jam pot.

Add the calcium water and lemon juice to the peaches and mix well.

In a small bowl, measure sugar or room temperature honey. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sweetener. Set aside.

Bring the peach mixture to a boil over medium high heat, then increase to high heat to reach a full rolling boil. Add in the pectin sweetener mixture, stirring vigorously dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full rolling boil, let it boil for 1 minutes and then remove it from the heat. At the end of cooking, you can test the jam consistency by placing a small spoonful on a small plate that has been chilled in the freezer.

Canning the Peach Jam

Turn each hot jar right side up on the kitchen towel and ladle hot jam into each jar leaving ¼ inch headspace. A quarter inch headspace is important for achieving a good seal. Remove any air bubbles by running a butter knife or bubble remover tool around the inside of each jar. Wipe the rim of the jar clean with a damp cloth or paper towel. Any residue on the rim of the jar can prevent a proper seal. Place lids on each hot jar and screw bands fingertip tight.

Lower jam filled jars into the boiling water bath canner using the jar lifter. Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Place the lid on the canner and return to a full rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, begin your processing time. Process for 10 minutes, adjusting cooking time for altitude if needed.

After processing time, turn off the heat and allow canner to sit untouched for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove jars with the jar lifter and place jars on a clean kitchen towel. Allow jam jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. After at least 12 hours, remove screw bands and check to make sure jars have sealed. The lids should be sucked down tight, indicating a good seal.

This canned peach jam recipe allows you to store your jars of peach jam on the pantry shelves for up to 1 year! Store your finished jam in a dark place or dry place at room temperature. Available freezer space is always minimal at our house, so the ability to store peach jam jars at room temperature is a big win over freezer jam. Good luck with your canning process!

Elevation Adjustments for Canning Peach Jam

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, elevation adjustments are as follows:

• 0 to 1,000 Feet in Elevation: 10 minutes
• 1,001 to 3,000 Feet in Elevation: 15 minutes
• 3,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 20 minutes
• Above 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 25 minutes

How to use Canned Peach Jam

This easy peach jam recipe is wonderful spread on sourdough toast, English muffins, or a freshly baked biscuit. It is also the perfect way to top waffles or pancakes. Peach thumbprint cookies are also a great use of these peach preserves. This fresh peach jam is also wonderful as a topping for vanilla ice cream or swirled into yogurt. And of course, this jam is a favorite for peanut butter sandwiches! The finished product has a bright, fresh peach flavor that tastes like summer in a jar.

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