Easy Peach Jam

Open glass jar of Peach Jam sitting on a white plate, with a spoon scooping up some jam.

You will be delighted to discover how easy it is to make this classic recipe for Homemade Peach Jam. It is the ultimate way to preserve this sweet, aromatic, stone fruit to enjoy throughout the cooler months ahead. To make this jam, you will use just three ingredients: fresh peaches, sugar and lemon juice. Made without the addition of pectin, this is a must-try jam that captures the honeyed sweetness of this delicious fruit. It is a great way to make the most of peaches at the height of their season.

Course Condiment, Jam

Cuisine International

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings x 300ml (10 oz) jars

Calories 831kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

1 kg (2.2 lbs) fresh peaches - prepared weight See Notes 1 and 2
750 g (3 ⅓ cups) white granulated sugar See Note 3
80 ml (⅓ cup) lemon juice - freshly squeezed See Note 4

Instructions

Sterilising the Jars:

Sterilise the jar or jars you'll be using to store the jam. Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.
Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts – if they do, allow them to air dry, instead of placing in the oven. Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and place the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Keep the jars warm.

For the Peach Jam:

Place two small saucers or plates in the freezer. See Note 6.
Wash and dry the peaches. Cut the peaches in half, removing and discarding the stones and stems. Trim away any blemishes from the fruit. We don't peel the fruit for this recipe as we use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, but you can peel and leave the fruit chunks if you prefer - See Note 2.
Cut the peaches into 2.5 cm (1-inch) chunks.
Add the peaches, sugar and lemon juice to a large saucepan and mix well with a long-handled wooden spoon. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
After standing the mixture, turn the heat on low and stir until the sugar dissolves. (This can take 8-10 minutes)
If sugar crystals get caught on the side of the saucepan, scrape down with a spatula.
Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to a rolling boil.
Boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. After 15 minutes, begin to check for the setting point. Your jam will likely take between 15-20 minutes, but it will depend on the width of your saucepan and how rapidly the jam is boiling.
Turn off heat and spoon a little of the jam onto one of your chilled saucers.
Let it stand for 30 seconds to cool, and then run your finger through it. If it wrinkles, even slightly, it is ready. If it is still quite liquid, put it back on the heat and boil for a further 1-2 minutes, and retest until ready.
Alternatively, you could use a candy thermometer. Setting point is reached when the thermometer reaches 105 Degrees C (220 F).
Skim any scum off the top of the jam with a spoon.
Use an immersion blender to puree the jam.
Carefully ladle your jam into your hot jars and put the lids on immediately. Allow the jam to cool completely. Wipe the jars to remove any spills, and store the jam in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Peaches: this is the prepared weight, after the stones and any blemishes have been removed. Ensure your fruit is freshly picked and of good quality. Avoid fruit that is bruised or over-ripe. The peaches contain pectin which aids in the jam setting. If your fruit is older, it will contain less pectin. Good quality fruit that is frozen fresh and isn't overly icy can be used. It can be used from frozen. The cooking times will be similar - just test as per the recipe. We use a no-peel method for this recipe, as we use an immersion blender to puree the fruit. If you prefer to peel the fruit, and have a chunkier jam, follow the steps below for peeling the fruit, and then follow the recipe as written, omitting the immersion blender at the end.
Peeling the fruit: (optional) to peel the peaches, half fill a medium sized saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. Meanwhile, prepare a medium sized bowl of iced water. Make a cross incision on the base of the peaches and place them in the boiling water for approximately 20 seconds. Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and place in the iced water bath to stop the cooking process. Remove the peach from the iced water when it is cool enough to handle. Use a small, sharp knife to peel the skin. It will easily peel off.
Sugar: do not reduce the amount of sugar. Whilst the sugar sweetens the fruit it also acts as a preservative and helps the jam to set. If you reduce the sugar, your jam may not be thick enough or shelf-stable.
Lemon juice: not only balances the sweetness of the sugar, but it also contains acid and pectin, which help to set the jam.
Sterilising the jars: properly sterilising your jars is an essential process to remove bacteria that could cause your preserves to spoil.
Chilled plates: we use the chilled plates to quickly cool the jam when testing the setting point.
Saucepan: I choose a large saucepan that has enough height to enable the jam to boil vigorously. More surface area means the liquid will evaporate faster; having sufficient height means you can boil the jam at a higher heat and maintain the fresh flavour of the peaches. Avoid aluminium, copper or iron pans; the acid in the fruit may react with the pan, giving the jam a metallic taste.
Wooden spoon: do not use a metal spoon – it will become very hot. A long-handled wooden spoon is important to avoid being burnt by a splash from boiling jam.
Setting point: my jam reached its setting point about 18 minutes after it began to boil rapidly. Boiling time will vary depending on the size of your saucepan and the heat that you apply.
Storage: when the recipe is made according to instructions and the jars have been sterilised properly, the jam will be shelf-stable for up to a year when stored in a cool, dark place. A jar should be refrigerated after opening. This recipe has not been tested using a canning method. Please refer to the USDA Canning Guidelines for techniques, or follow a recipe designed for long-term canning.
Nutritional information: is based on one whole jar. The nutritional information is an estimate only.

Nutrition