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Preserve summer’s best fruit with the perfect peach jam recipe! This classic spread is simple, full of sweet peach flavor, and easy to can in shelf-stable jars. It’s the most delicious way to enjoy the season’s bounty all year long!
Table of Contents
If you love canning and homemade jam recipes, be sure to try this blackberry jam (with or without pectin), a batch of classic blueberry jam, this easy freezer strawberry jam, and our popular Christmas jam, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Simple. This easy peach jam recipe comes together with 4 basic ingredients. It’s sweet and flavorful, allowing the natural taste of the fresh peaches to truly shine.
- Shelf-Stable. Properly canning the jars allows you to store the jam at room temperature for up to 8 months. That means that you don’t have utilize valuable freezer space, and you can gift these jars of sweet summer goodness throughout the holiday season (when everyone loves a bright taste of the warmer weather months).
- Versatile. Spread the jam on a classic PB&J sandwich, or slather it on slices of Southern cornbread, on your morning toast, or on a buttermilk biscuit. It’s also a great substitute for apricot jam in recipes like this 3-ingredient glazed chicken, on this rustic peach galette, and in these buttery jam thumbprint cookies.
Ingredients
This is an overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite homemade peach jam recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh peaches: freestone peaches, with their easily removable pits, are best suited for peach jam due to their juicy and flavorful flesh. Make sure that your peaches are nice and ripe!
- Lemon juice: the acid in lemon juice lowers the pH level in the jam, which neutralizes negative charges on the strands of pectin and therefore helps the jam set. The acid in the lemon juice also enhances the flavor of the peaches and naturally preserves the jam by inhibiting bacterial growth. The jam does not actually taste like lemon.
- Sugar: to sweeten the jam and help it set. I know that it might be tempting to play with the measurements and try to create a lower-sugar jam, but trust me: you need all of that sugar for this particular recipe. Stick with regular granulated sugar (instead of sugar substitutes like Splenda or stevia) and do not decrease the quantity called for in the recipe. Jam making is an exact science, so measuring the correct quantities of fruit, sugar, and lemon juice are essential to a successful batch.
- Liquid pectin: to thicken the jam and help it set. Do not substitute with powdered pectin.
Equipment Needed
- 7 sterilized half-pint mason jars and lids: this classic peach jam recipe yields enough for about 7 (8-ounce) jars. I like the half-pint jars because it’s just the right amount of jam to keep in the fridge after it’s opened, but smaller 4-ounce jars are also a great option.
- A sterilized funnel: this tool makes it easier to get the jam inside the jar without spilling; however, it’s fine if you don’t have a funnel — you can carefully spoon the jam into the jars instead.
- Tongs: canning tongs are incredibly helpful when taking the jars in and out of the boiling water.
- Sharp knife or food processor: to finely chop the peaches. I also use a sharp paring knife to peel the fruit.
- Saucepan or Dutch oven: for cooking the jam. Allow plenty of room for the mixture to boil, bubble, and foam. I use my 7 1/4-quart cast iron Dutch oven.
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula: to stir, stir, stir!
- Canner or large pot for boiling jars: this needs to be very deep so that you can cover the jars with at least 1-2 inches of water. I use the pot and rack from my pressure canner, but a deep stock pot also works fine.
How to Sterilize the Jars and Lids
It’s a good practice to sterilize the jars and lids before canning in order to kill any bacteria, fungi, or yeast. There are a variety of ways to sterilize the jars (here’s a helpful article with different options). I typically use the dishwasher, or just boil them for 10 minutes in the same big pot of water that I’ll use for processing.
Directions
This is the classic ball peach jam recipe, which my mom and I have been using for many years. If you like spiced peach jam, I’ve noted that you can add a hint of ground cinnamon and ground ginger to the mixture; however, that variation is totally optional.
- Wash, remove the stems, and peel peaches. Finely chop the peach flesh. I use a food processor to make it easier, but a sharp knife also does the trick!
- Cook the peaches with the sugar, lemon juice, and spices (if using) until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. If you see big chunks of peaches, use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to break them up.
- Add the pectin and boil for exactly 1 more minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat and skim off the foam.
- Ladle the jam into hot jars. Leave ¼-inch headspace in each jar. The proper amount of headspace is important to ensure a vacuum seal. If there’s too little headspace, the jam may expand and bubble out when air is being forced out from under the lid during processing.
- Wipe the rim of the jar clean and screw on the lid.
- Process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. If you don’t want to bother with canning the jars in a water bath canner, no problem! Just transfer the jam to jars, let them cool completely at room temperature, and then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Let the jars sit and cool on the countertop for 12 hours.
How to Store
Once the jam has had a chance to cool, check the seals. The lids should be down in the center or should stay down when pressed. Unsealed jars or unprocessed jars of fresh peach jam should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks. Store properly sealed and processed jars of peach jam in a cool, dark, dry place (such as a pantry) for up to 8 months.
I do not recommend freezing this homemade jam. Use a peach freezer jam recipe if you prefer that method.
More Peach Recipes to Try
One Skillet Peach Chicken
35 minutes mins
Peach Pound Cake
2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Southern Peach Cobbler with Jiffy Mix
1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Peach Galette
1 hour hr 55 minutes mins
Peach Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups finely chopped, peeled, pitted peaches (about 3 lbs.)
- 7 ½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger (optional if you like spiced peach jam)
- 2 (3 ounce) pouches liquid pectin
Instructions
PREP
- Wash the fully ripe peaches. Remove the stems, peels, bruises, and pits. Finely chop the peaches with a food processor or knife. Measure out 4 cups of the chopped peaches.
COOK
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, bring the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon and ginger (if using) to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the liquid pectin. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat; skim off any foam.
FILL
- Ladle the hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace at the top of each jar.
- Wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth, then secure the lids and bands so that the bands are fingertip-tight.
PROCESS
- Process the half-pint jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars to a towel on the counter.
- Let stand, undisturbed, for 12 hours at room temperature. Check the seals after 12 hours by pressing the center of the lids. If the lid gives or the center button remains popped up, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Properly sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 8 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
- Recipe from Ball Guide to Preserving.
- It’s a good practice to sterilize the jars and lids before canning in order to kill any bacteria, fungi, or yeast. There are a variety of ways to sterilize the jars (here’s a helpful article with different options). I typically use the dishwasher, or just boil them for 10 minutes in the same big pot of water that I’ll use for processing.
