Mary’s Just Peachy Homemade Jam
No Pectin Needed
Here in the Midwest, fresh peach season is relatively short (usually from July to mid-September), which is why I love making a few batches of peach jam while they are available; I want to be able to enjoy the taste of fresh peaches any time of the year. Making peach jam is surprisingly easy: all you need are a few canning jars, some lemon juice and sugar and, of course, some beautifully ripe peaches. You don’t even need pectin (pectin is a fruit extract often used in making preserves). The natural pectin from the peaches will thicken the jam as it cools. For the best peaches, look for fruit that is ripe, but still firm. Peaches that are overly ripe will have less pectin. Roasting the peach pits adds an extra kick of almond extract to this jam; see below for instructions.
Mary’s Just Peachy Jam
Ingredients
- 5½ pounds fresh peaches
- 3 cups sugar
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 4 large lemons)
- Roasted peach pits, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the peaches by using a soft towel to gently rub off the peach fuzz from the fruit. Halve the peaches and remove and reserve the pits. Cut the peaches into ½-inch slices. You will need approximately 12½ cups of peaches. Cover the bowl with plastic food wrap and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to prepare the jam, roast the peach pits (if using) then sterilize your jars and lids. Always keep the jars warm until you are ready to fill them to ensure that they don’t break when a hot mixture is added. I like to use the oven sterilization method to prepare my jars (see below).
- In a large, nonreactive pot, place the peach mixture along with the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated, and the mixture becomes a jam-like consistency, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- If using, drop a roasted peach pit (for instructions of roasting peach pits, see below) in the bottom of each sterilized jar. Ladle the jam into the warm sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles by lightly tapping the jar on the counter. Make sure the rims are clean then seal tightly with lid.
- Process the jars for 15 minutes in a boiling-water bath. When the jars have cooled completely, test the seal by gently pressing on the top of each lid. It should be tight and slightly indented. If the lid makes a clicking noise when you press it, the seal is not good. If you wind up with a jar that isn’t sealed properly just pop it in the refrigerator and make sure to enjoy it within one week.