Easy Fresh Peach Jam

Since Dustin and I moved to Austin, we have wanted to visit this little town called Fredericksburg, Texas. Fredericksburg is a small town deep in Texas Hill Country and is known for its peaches (as is its neighboring town, Stonewall).

So, not only did fresh peach jam sound amazing, but it also gave us an opportunity to visit Fredericksburg again. Yay!

That town is so darn cute -- we couldn't stand it. We both agree we already need to go back again.

With my parents visiting us for a week, we thought it'd be neat to make some homemade peach jam together.   Over the years, we have all made homemade jam, including strawberry chia jam and blackberry chia jam.

What's not to love about a cute little country town that has “Fresh Peaches” signs posted everywhere? It's like a rule or something: fresh peaches = happiness. Visiting Fredericksburg even reminded Dustin and me how much we would love to live out in the country and run a vineyard or farm.

Ingredients for Peach Jam

You don't need many ingredients to make this easy peach jam recipe, thankfully. Here's what you'll need:

• Fresh Ripe Peaches: When you chop peaches, you'll need about 3 lbs. to yield 4 cups. We used a combination of Stonewall white and yellow peaches, but any peaches will do.
• Lemon Juice: This will require about 2 lemons and is a great acidic cut to the fresh peaches.  
• Raw Honey: When swapping raw honey for granulated sugar, you don't need to use nearly as much of the honey because it is sweeter than sugar. Given this, I recommend using about ¾ cup for every 1 cup of sugar. For this recipe, that means using 5 ½ cups raw honey. This recipe originally included granulated sugar, and I've wanted to update it forever to avoid processed sugar. If you're following the original recipe, it called for a whopping 7 ½ cups of granulated sugar.
• Sure-Jell Certo Fruit Pectin: You'll need to use liquid fruit pectin so the jam sets and can be canned. If not canning and just making for use in the fridge, you can use chia seeds, as I do in these 5 Homemade Chia Jam Recipes.

How to Make Homemade Peach Jam

The process to make jam is relatively simple. Just follow these steps, and you've got it!

1. Fill a Canner half-full of water and bring to a simmer.
2. Wash Mason Canning Jars, Lids and Bands in hot, soapy water and then rinse with warm water.
3. Remove the skin from the peaches.
4. Add peeled peaches, lemon juice, and raw honey (or sugar)to a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil for a minute, stirring constantly.
5. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
6. Ladle the mixture into the prepared, cleaned jars. Screw bands on tightly and place jars on the elevated Canning Rack in the canner.
7. Lower rack into canner so that water covers jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover and bring to a gentle boil for 10 minutes.
8. Remove jars using a Jar Lifter and place them upright on a towel to cool completely.
9. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of the lid with your finger. If lid springs/pops back, it is not sealed and that jar will need to be refrigerated.
10. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours and then your jam is ready. Store unopened jam in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.
11. Refrigerate opened jams for up to 3 weeks.

Choosing The Best Fruit For Homemade Jam

When buying fresh fruit for your jam, don't worry about how it looks – just how it tastes. We even ask for the “ugly" ones because they're usually cheaper. This is another reason why making homemade jam is amazing if you happen to have a lot of fresh fruit on your hands.

For the tastiest ripe peaches, look for vibrant, yellow flesh and golden-reddish skin. Again, bruises or blemishes on these peaches are okay.

How To Peel Peaches For Jam

For this easy peach jam recipe, you'll want to remove the skin from the peaches. To peel a fresh peach, blanch for 45 seconds in boiling water, then remove and place in ice cold water for 1 minute. 

Using a sharp paring knife, make a criss-cross slit at the bottom of the peach to create a place to insert the knife blade. 

Gently grab the skin between your finger and the knife blade and remove the skin. Trust me -- this works wonders.

Jam Making Tools You'll Need

Often, you can find some or all of these in a canning set on Amazon, but here are the individual pieces broken out and their uses.

• Paring Knife: This will be used to peel the peaches. Look for a sharp knife that can pierce the peach's skin but is still small enough to be easily maneuverable.
• Glass Mason Jars: Glass is the best option for canning, and it can be reused over and over. I use 16-oz mason jars for canning. For gifts, I'll also use these smaller 4-oz jars.
• Canning Pot: You'll need a deep, large pot that will hold the canning rack and all the mason jars. These can also be used to store all your canning tools once you're done. This is also called a "Canner."
• Sauce Pan: We'll need to cook down the peaches first before we turn them into jam, so you'll need a large saucepan to do so.
• Canning Rack with Tongs: This will be essential to lift the hot mason jars out of the boiling water in the canning pot.
• Canning Funnel: You'll need this when filling your mason jars. The wide mouth and large funnel will keep you from spilling your homemade jam everywhere. It also works great for adding anything to a mason jar.