Fresh homemade Peach Jam is easy to make and tastes 1,000x better than any jam from the store! It takes just 30 minutes and five simple ingredients to make a year’s worth of jewel-colored jars of homemade jam!
Be sure to also enjoy our Peach Ice Cream, Peach Cobbler and award winning Peach Pie during peach season.
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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
- Prep. Make sure your jars and lids are cleaned really well by washing them with hot soapy water or running them through the dishwasher first so you have sterile jars.
- Peel and mash the peaches. Once the fresh peaches are peeled, you can dice them small, pulse them in a food processor (affiliate link) to chop them up (although be sure to leave chunks and don’t just puree the peaches), or mash them with a potato masher (my favorite approach).
- Carefully measure. After the fruit has been mashed or chopped, measure it carefully to make sure you have exactly 3 cups of fruit, including any juices.
- Add lemon juice and sugar. You need fresh lemon juice with peach jam to help make sure it sets up while also adding just a bit of brightness to the flavor and keeping the color nice and bright since peaches tend to start browning when exposed to air. Add the lemon juice along with 2 ½ cups of the sugar and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Continue adding sugar and stirring every 10 minutes. After the first ten minutes, add another cup of the sugar and stir the peaches again. The peaches will release their juices and start to become syrupy, which will help dissolve the sugar without needing to cook the jam. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar at the 20 minute mark, stir well, and let the peaches sit for another 10 minutes.
- Cook the pectin. During the last ten minutes, combine the water and pectin in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring to a full boil, then cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the hot pectin to the peaches and sugar.
- Set a timer and stir for 3 minutes. Use a sturdy wooden spoon to stir the peach jam for 3 minutes. The heat from the boiled pectin will help dissolve any remaining stubborn sugar crystal. Set a timer and don’t skip this step or the jam might not set up properly.
- Fill jam jars to within 1/2-inch of the brim. Ladle the finished peach jam into your clean jars or containers and wipe the rims clean. A wide funnel is helpful to make the process less messy if you have one. Place the lids on the jam and wipe the jars clean if any jam spilled down the sides.
- Let the jars of jam set up at room temperature for 24 hours. Don’t place the jam in the freezer right away. It needs to set up for 24 hours on the counter before freezing so it has a chance to finish setting up properly. You can eat some right away, of course, but it will be a little runnier than once it is fully set up.
- Store in the fridge or freezer. Once the jam is set up, you can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 weeks or store it in the freezer for enjoying all year round!
Recipe FAQ’s
Freezer jam is different from regular bottled jam because you don’t need to cook it or process the jars in a hot water bath to seal them. We prefer it to pantry jam because it has a fruitier, brighter flavor that preserves the taste of the fruit better than cooked jam, in our opinion. It’s also slightly thinner than traditional jams or spreads, closer to a honey consistency, which we like better too.
I haven’t tried using low-sugar substitutes like Splenda for making jam. I have found some low-sugar pectin options that use less sugar that work okay for other jam flavors, but haven’t tried them yet with peach jam and I still haven’t found one that I like as well as regular freezer jam. I don’t recommend decreasing the amount of sugar or you risk the jam not setting properly. I know 4 ½ cups of sugar might sound like a lot, but when you divide it out between the jars of jam and the tablespoon or so that you use for each serving, it’s not that bad.
Actually no, you can leave the peels on if you don’t want to remove them. But I would recommend washing the peaches well first and dicing them small instead of just mashing them so you don’t end up with large pieces of peach skin in your jam.
No, unfortunately. Freezer jam is a pretty exact science to get it to set up properly in terms of ratios of fruit, sugar, and pectin so you usually can’t just sub in another type of fruit and expect it to set up the same.
You can use cling or freestone peaches, although freestone peaches which come on later in the season are easier to work with since the pit comes right out of the peaches as opposed to cling peaches where you have to slice the fruit off the pit.
I do not recommend making this peach freezer jam recipe with canned peaches because you won’t get the same consistency or taste. You can, however, use frozen peaches in a pinch when fresh peaches aren’t available. Let them thaw completely first and do not drain the juice. Use the thawed peaches and juices and proceed with the recipe as directed.
This is not a cooked jam that gets processed in a hot water bath, so I wouldn’t try that approach with this 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.
What if my peach freezer jam doesn’t set?
Sometimes peach jam doesn’t set as well as other types of jam. This is usually if the peaches are extra juicy or just because peaches have less natural pectin than other fruits, which is one of the reasons it’s important to use fresh lemon juice, which has pectin in it, and to measure the fruit carefully so the ratios of fruit, sugar, and pectin are not off.
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.
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.
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.
More Sweet Toppings
More Peach Recipes
Ice Cream
Peach Ice Cream
American Eats
Southern Peach Pie Recipe
Sweets & Treats
Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
Did you make this recipe?
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.
Homemade Peach Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed peaches (about 2 lbs. ripe peaches)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 box SURE-JELL fruit pectin
Instructions
- Prepare jars or plastic containers by cleaning and drying them thoroughly.
- Peel, pit, and mash or finely dice or chop peaches. See notes for the easiest way to peel peaches. Measure out exactly 3 cups and transfer to a large bowl.3 cups mashed peaches
- Add lemon juice and 2 ½ cups of the sugar. Stir well, then let sit for 10 minutes. Add another 1 cup of sugar, stir, and let sit for another 10 minutes. Add the final 1 cup of sugar and stir well. Let sit for 10 minutes.2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 4 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Combine water and the pectin powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute while continuing to stir. Remove from the heat.¾ cup water, 1 box SURE-JELL fruit pectin
- Pour the hot pectin liquid into the peach and sugar mixture. Stir for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals and make sure the jam is evenly combined.
- Transfer the jam to prepared containers, leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top of each jar or container so there is room for the jam to expand while freezing. Cover with lids and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set up.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or transfer the jam to the freezer and freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw jam in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
Notes
- Peeling peaches: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a water bath by filling a large bowl with ice water. Add peaches to the boiling water and blanche for 30-45 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the blanched peaches to the ice water for 1 minute. The peels should slip right off.
- Vanilla Peach – Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for a twist. It just might be your new favorite jam.
- 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.
- 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.
- Almond Peach – Add 1-2 teaspoons almond extract for another deliciously sweet variation.
- Yield: About 6 half pints or 6 cups.
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information was calculated based on a serving size of 1 Tablespoon or 96 servings using an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend doing your own calculations.
I’ve made lots of jams.
Pomegranate, apricot, strawberry, blackberry and grape.
This one is my new favorite!
🙂 Thanks, Loralee!
The directions of your recipe use 3 1/2 cups of sugar but your ingredient list recommends 4 1/2 cups of sugar. What do you suggest we do with the leftover cup of sugar?
Thanks for pointing that out! Looks like I said to add 1 1/2 cups with the lemon juice right at the start instead of 2 1/2 cups. I fixed it in the recipe card.
This is an outstanding recipe, thank you. My family went crazy for it.
where did you get these cute peach jars?
Hi! These are 8 oz jam jars. To be honest I can’t remember where I got them! I reuse jars a lot so I have had jars for quite some time. Amazon, Michaels, Target, Walmart all have jam jars. You can search vintage 8 oz jam jars or if you like the shape you can search for a “bulb” shape and I am pretty sure these jars were Ball brand. I hope that helps!
Can the jars go into a water bath to preserve?
No, this recipe isn’t for cooked jam. But it will keep for a year in the freezer!
Too much sugar – that’s all I can taste! Easy to follow but I feel like it was a waste of my wonderful peaches
Can u water bath and put in jars instead of freezing?
Freezer jam and shelf stable jam do have a bit of difference. The freezer jam is not boiled so sometimes it can be a safety issue to become shelf stable and to process the jam correctly, it is usually boiled before pouring into the jars. I wouldn’t try a water bath with this recipe since it can be a science to get the right consistency and this is a non-boil recipe.
I made this recipe last summer with peaches from my parent’s farm. The color and flavor of this jam was excellent. I gave it as Christmas gifts last year and all comments were complementary on the color, texture, and flavor.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.