Peach season peaks in mid to late summer. No one would argue fresh peach jam is a little bit of heaven. But who wants to wait six months until fresh peaches are back in season?
Beautiful, flawless, unsweetened peach slices can be found in the frozen food aisle of your local grocery store right this minute. Picked at their peak and frozen within hours of harvesting, they are perfect.
Even though it's 7 degrees below zero tonight in Nebraska, as I write this, I can make gorgeous golden peach jam any time I want. So I did!
Making jam is an easy and smooth process once you've done it a time or two.
Please take the time to read through the recipe and the instructions before you begin! Set up a little assembly line with everything you need close at hand. Once you've started, you won't have time to run to the store!
Here's a list of equipment you'll need.
Before you begin, fill one soup pot about halfway full of water. Add two tablespoons of vinegar. Put it on the stove and turn on the burner so it will come to a boil while you make the jam.
Start with two 16-ounce bags of frozen peaches. That's about 6 cups of peaches, just the right amount for a batch of peach jam. (When fresh peaches are available, use 6 cups of fresh peaches for this recipe.)
Empty the bags into the second tall soup pot. You can let them defrost naturally or hurry them along a little bit by putting them on the stove at the lowest setting.
Some recipes suggest pureeing the fruit, but I like sweet little bites of peach in my jam, so I chopped them into small pieces as they defrosted.
While the peaches defrosted, I measured 6 cups of sugar into a large measuring cup. Remember to measure the sugar in advance because when it's time to add it, you must add it all at once!
When the fruit was defrosted, I turned up the heat. As the peaches began to cook, I could chop them into pea-size bits.
When the peaches were nice and warm, I added a box of pectin, a pat of butter, and three tablespoons of lemon juice. The butter stops foam from forming on top of the jam, and the lemon's tart taste keeps it from becoming overly sweet.
Bring this mixture to a boil. As it starts to boil, put your canning lids into a glass measuring cup and cover them with boiling water so they are ready to use.
Next, add the sugar all at once. Yes, you're right. That's a lot of sugar. Don't mess with the quantity.
Continue boiling this mixture, stirring constantly. The sugar and fruit will get dangerously hot, so please use a long spoon to stir the jam as it cooks.
When the jam is boiling so hard you cannot stir it down, start a timer you have set for exactly one minute. Keep cooking and stirring until the timer goes off, then remove the pot from the stove.
You must process the jam in a boiling water bath for long-term, shelf-stable storage.
Place the canning funnel into a jar and use the ladle to fill it. Remember to leave a half-inch clearance. Now, move the ladle into the next empty jar. The towel you laid on the counter will catch all the drips!
First, wipe the rim of the jar with a damp dishcloth. Next, put a lid on the jar and secure it with a canning ring. Hand-tighten the ring firmly in place.
Use the jar lifter to place the jar into the boiling water bath. Repeat with the rest of the jars.
A bit of jam is often left in the pot that's not enough for a jar. Oh, happy day!! Be sure you have some bread on hand to enjoy a sample—it's a great fringe benefit of being the jam-maker!
The boiling water bath must be about one inch above the top of the jam-filled jars. Set a timer for ten minutes to process the jars. If you live at high altitudes, here's a chart showing how long you should process the jam in a boiling water bath.
Use the jar lifter to remove each jar from the boiling water. Gently place each one on a cooling rack. Do not touch the jars until they are completely cool. It is best to let the jam sit undisturbed in one spot for 24 hours before moving them.
As the jars seal, they make a "ping" sound. This can take quite a while, so be patient. It's tempting to press on the lid to find out if it has sealed, but don't.
If the jars do not seal, the jam will still be safe to eat for two or three weeks if kept in the refrigerator. It's okay to share some—don't stress about it!
I am a big fan of a food blog called The Spruce Eats. I will let them explain in more detail why jars don't seal occasionally. Tell her GB sent you!
These cold winter days are the sweetest time to make jam. Your kitchen will feel cozy and warm, and you will enjoy the delightful fragrance of peaches as it dances through your entire home.
Golden peach jam you can make any day of the year using frozen peaches!
Line up the jars and observe the fruits of your labor. In the modern world, such tangible proof of productivity is rare.
Now, pull up a chair and place a golden spoonful or two of your creation on a piece of toast. Savor it. Be amazed and proud. You made it with your own hands. Congratulations!
You might like to try an old go-to favorite: raspberry jam. This recipe can also be made with frozen fruit!
Or, if you want to make sunshine in a jar, use winter's plentiful oranges to make beautiful orange marmalade! It was my daddy's favorite! What's yours?
Jam is easier to make than jelly, so it's a great place to start! Line up those shiny, colorful jars of jam and admire your work. I know it will make you proud!
If you liked this peach jam recipe, you are my people! If you enjoyed this recipe today, please share this post on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. It would sure tickle me, and I'd be ever so grateful; thank you!
If you haven't already, please check out my Facebook page and find me on Pinterest, where I will post easy, delicious, and family-friendly recipes every week!
If you enjoyed a post, I'd love it if you would leave a review or a comment. It helps my little business. ❤❤
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free gift! A printable sign that would look great in your kitchen, framed above your sink, or just placed anywhere to remind us how lucky we are to have dirty dishes!
Sign up now!
How many (and what size) jars does this recipe yield?
Hey friend! We have this all figured out, don't we? 7 half pints, give or take! 😉
Why do recipes never bother to give the "yield" anymore? Why bother to tell someone how to prep the jars, if you don't even tell them how many of what size?! All those stories, pictures, and words and not single statement of how much it makes. If it was in there I sure didn't see it. My Home economics teacher would have been aghast at one of the KEY parts of the beginning of ANY recipe.... The YIELD.
Hi Jeanette, I felt so bad when I read your comments, I stewed about it all day, worried how I could do better. Tomorrow I will talk to the people who help with my website and see if there is a remedy.
At the very top of the printable recipe card on the peach jam post, it says Yield: Approximately 7 half-pint jars. (Jam is never perfectly cooperative in yielding exact content!) I always put a yield on my recipes but I can see why it's easy to overlook and I will find out if it can appear in a bigger font. In the meanwhile, I edited it to be in all caps which is the best I can do on my own. I also looked through the post and there are two pictures with 7 jars; one in the water bath, and one of the finished batch.
I'm so sorry to have disappointed you. I am 73 years old and I took Home Ec when it still existed so I know what sticklers those teachers could be!
I had a heck of a time putting bias tape around the armholes of the apron we made but went on to sew prom dresses for our daughters!
I hope you try the recipe. I have never had it fail and it's been pretty popular.
Thanks for taking time to point out how I can do better.
Do you have a slow cooker recipe for applebutter?
No, I do not, but I searched for you and found a highly rated one! I'm going to try it myself! https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/crock-pot-slow-cooker-apple-butter-recipe/
I replied to your email because I was on my phone- did you get it? Don't try to double it, it doesn't work well.
Have you tried this recipe with frozen strawberries? My peach turned out beautifully!
Yes! In fact, I am making a batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam tonight using all frozen fruit! I'll send you a link. Not sure how much sugar to use for just strawberries.
strawberry-rhubarb: https://yeyfood.com/how-to-have-the-sweetest-jam-session-in-your-kitchen/
I would try 5 or 6 cups of defrosted strawberries with 3 cups of sugar but check online first. The rhubarb is so tart it takes more sugar.
Why do you put vinegar in your water bath canner?
As I mention in the narrative, I put vinegar in the water bath because we have very hard water, and it keeps lime from forming on the jars when they are being processed.
I just finished your peach jam recipe, I want to congratulate you because is perfect.
I been doing jams and marmalades for a while now and your peach recipe is absolutely the best.
Thank you
You absolutely made my day!!! Thank you for taking time from your busy life to comment, and I'm delighted to hear it was a success!❤❤❤❤
Hi!
Can you cut the recipe in half or do you suggest not to?
I've never tried it but I'm sure that would work! Is it because you don't have enough peaches or you just want less jam? If you do a boiling water bath on the jars as dirceted, it will keep a year or more!
I used frozen sweetened peaches in this recipe?
I'm not sure how to adjust the amount of sugar, Mary. The amount of sugar influences not only the flavor but how the jam sets. I'll see what I can find.
Can you use pint jars? If so, what would be the process time? Thank you.
You can use pint jars. Increase the time to 15 minutes and please be sure the water covers the tops of the jars by one inch durung processing in the boiling water bath.
I just received a whole bunch of 2 lb bags of frozen peaches with sugar. I like your recipe and I would like to try it but how shall I cut the sugar because the peaches are already sweetened. I know this will affect gelling. What would you suggest?
If I was in your shoes, I would try one batch and use half the sugar. The worst thing that could happen is that you'd have lovely peach pancake topping. Please let me know, I really want to find out how it went!!
What is the shelf life for the frozen peach recipe?
If you treat the jam in a boiling water bath as I describe and if it seals properly, it is shelf stable for a year or up to two years.
Hi GB. I am going to make this recipe with frozen peaches from our trees. What kind of pectin do you like to use?
Yay Claire! I always use powdered pectin, I have zero experience with liquid. I make lots of jam and jelly so I buy it in bulk most of the time. I've learned 6 Tbsp of dry pectin from a bulk jar equals one 1.75-ounce square box. Have a happy jam session!! I made strawberry rhubarb yesterday! I have frozen peaches from last year, I better get in gear and make jam too! 😋
What a great recipe! I’ve a windfall of yellow and white peaches this year from our two trees and no more space in the freezer. Looking forward to trying this recipe out.
That's awesome, what a nice "problem" to have! I'd love to hear how you get a long with the recipe, it has never failed me.
I just made this recipe it was AWESOME. DO you have one for strawberry jam using frozen strawberries? Will this recipe work substituting peaches for Strawberries?
So happy to hear you liked it!! I have a strawberry-rhubarb jam recipe that lets you use fresh or frozen in any combination and an apricot jam that uses dried apricots on the site. I think that the amount of sugar in the recipe for strawberry rhubarb jam would be too much for just strawberry, so I'm looking for one that i trust. I need a day or two to research, please, I have plans tonight (very rare!!) and am working on publishing deadlines at the moment! You can get frozen rhubarb in a lot of grocery stores. It's my family's favorite, and I just remebered I have a raspberry jam recipe that uses froazne raspberries on the site too. If you have trouble finding the recipes, you are free to text me. 308-627-5558
Hi Robin, I emailed you!!