Pure Peach Jam

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End of the season peaches are cooked down with nothing more than organic cane sugar and a touch of lemon to make the purest of peach jam safe for home canning that you can enjoy all winter long.

Canning Peach Jam without Pectin, www.mountainmamacooks.com #canning #peachjam

Summer is officially over. At least according to my calendar it is. Monday marked the beginning of fall and with it comes cozy sweaters, ginger spiced lattes, and a slew of pumpkin and apple recipes. While I’m not opposed to the flavors of fall, I hate rushing out summer especially when the summer produce is still so good. Living in the mountains, we tend to get a later harvest. My local farmers market is still pumping out zucchini, tomatoes, peaches and melon. I’ve been gathering produce in droves as I’ve switched into full blown canning mode this past week putting anything and everything up that I can get my hands on.

Simple Peach Jam for Canning, www.mountainmamacooks.com

One of my favorite vendors at the market, surly attitude and all, had the most gorgeous Lemon Alberta peaches last week. I knew it was going to be the last week of them so before I knew it, I was walking to my car with a case of peaches and $20 less in my pocket. Destined to become canned peaches in a vanilla bean syrup, I pulled out just enough to make some peach jam. I had every intention of making this Amaretto Peach Jam from Completely Delicious as it was my favorite jam from last winter but in the end I just couldn’t do it. As I stirred down the peaches, watching them break down into preserves, and tasting along the way I couldn’t get over just how good the peaches were. Dare I say the best I’ve had all year? In the end I decided to let the peaches shine and leave them as is. Adorned with absolutely nothing, this is the purest of peach jams and very well might be the epitome of summer in a jar.

Pure Peach Jam for Canning, www.mountainmamacooks.com #canning #peachjam

I generally like to hoard my canned goods until the weather has officially turned but this time I couldn’t resist. I cracked open a jar the very next day and we’ve been enjoying it on toast, in PB&J sandwiches and this morning I slathered them on buckwheat pancakes. If you can still get your hands on some peaches, I highly recommend putting some jam up. Your mouth and soul will thank you come February.

Other peach canning recipes you might enjoy:
Peach Butter from Smitten Kitchen
How to Can Peaches from Completely Delicious
Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce from Our Best Bites

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Pure Peach Jam

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  • Yield: 6- 1/2 pints 1x
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Description

Pure peach jam without pectin.

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds ripe peaches
  • 2 cups organic cane sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot of water on the stove top and bring to a boil.
  2. Place a large bowl in the sink and fill it with cold water and a generous amount of ice cubes.
  3. With a sharp pairing knife, cut a shallow and small “x” on the bottom of each peach.
  4. Working with 4-5 peaches at a time, place them in the boiling water for just about a minute, until the skins begin to peel back. Remove from the pot and transfer to the cold water bath.
  5. Use your fingers to peel away the skins. Cut the peaches in half, discarding the pit. Give the peaches a rough chop. Repeat this process until you’ve peeled, pitted and sliced all the peaches.
  6. Combine the chopped peaches and sugar in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Cook the peaches over medium heat-high. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the jam to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low and let simmer until thickened, stirring frequently and skimming away any foam from the surface. This will take about 45-60 minutes.
  7. Test jam by pouring a teaspoon onto a very cold plate that has been placed in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Wipe your finger through the jam. If the jam holds its shape and does not run to fill the gap created by your finger, the jam is ready.
  8. At this point, you can leave the jam chunky or use an immersion blender to break up big pieces and make a smoother preserve. (I usually leave a few small chunks.)
  9. Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for 2-3 minutes more.
  10. During the last half an hour of cooking the jam, bring a large pot of water to a boil and place your canning jars and lids inside. Let boil for several minutes to sterilize.
  11. When ready to can, remove the jars and lids from the water. Spoon the jam into the jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Use a clean damp paper towel to whip the rims of the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings just finger tight,
  12. Gently lower the jam into the boiling water. This is where a canning rack is your best friend! Let the water return to a boil, then continue to boil for 10 minutes.
  13. Remove the processed jars from the water and place them on the counter that has been lined with a clean dish towel. Let the jam sit for at least 12 hours and up to overnight before removing the rings and storing in a cool place.

Notes

A note about high-altitude canning: I
ncrease the processing time of your jam based on the following altitudes. (At my elevation, I canned my jam for 25 minutes)
1,001-3,000 ft, add 5 minutes. 3,001-6,000 ft, add 10 minutes. 6,001-8,000 ft, add 15 minutes. 8,001-10,000 ft, add 20 minutes.