This spring I vowed that I would buy heaps of peaches to freeze for the winter months. I've tried buying out-of-season peaches before, and they are flavorless.
Summer was coming to a close and I hadn't secured my peaches, and the price at the grocery store was prohibitive. I was resigned to another peachless winter. Then, I realized that the co-op was selling lugs of peaches. Of course I bought one.
Am I ever glad I did.
I froze over half of them, we ate several of them fresh (with cream of course!), and I made this lovely jam with the rest.
It really is the easiest jam I have ever made. All that's required is throwing all (three) of ingredients into a pot and boiling for about half an hour. Then just ladle the jam into jars and refrigerate. You could also process these in a water bath to make them shelf-safe, but I prefer to keep mine in the refrigerator or freezer. I'm lazy like that.
And now, as we move into fall, I have a bit of summer preserved.
PS: My jars are Weck Tulip jars. I bought mine from Terrain.
What's your favorite summer fruit?
No-Pectin Peach Jam
recipe from HGTV Gardens | makes about 8 small jars | PRINTABLE PAGE
Ingredients:
- 6 pounds peaches
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cups sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)
Directions:
1) Peel and pit the peaches, roughly chop and place in a large pot. Add the lemon juice and mash them together with a potato masher to desired consistency (I don't like my jam too chunky).
2) Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches about 210-220 degrees F (99-105 C) and thickens, about 25-30 minutes (I didn't bother measuring the temperature and just boiled the jam until it looked good). You can test the thickness by dropping a little bit of jam onto a cold plate.
3) Ladle the jam into sterilized jars and either cool and refrigerate/freeze or process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (here's a how-to if you've never done a boiling water bath).
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I love peaches! I seriously cannot wait to try this, because you are absolutely correct. Out of season peaches are disgusting. To the farmer's market I go!
ReplyDeleteYay! Hope you enjoy the jam. :) Yes, there is a marked difference between in-season and out-of-season produce. I never realized it until a few years ago. Oh the things the internet can teach. ;)
DeletePeaches!! Loving it so much more, now that autumn is peeking just around the corner. Love this jam :)
ReplyDeleteMmhmm - can't wait for pumpkins to be in season as well. :D
DeleteBeautiful photography. Enjoy your summer bounty in the winter, it's a great way to enjoy fresh, delicious produce all year long. The jam looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a wonderful recipe! I love your wooden spoons. Could you tell me where I can get some?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the shelf life for this jam? If but through the water bath can in stay out of the fridge until opened?
ReplyDeleteYes, if you process correctly with a water bath you can leave it on the shelf until opened.
DeleteI followed the directions to the letter, but the jam is too sweet and it didn't thicken up at all. I will use a pectin recipe next time.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry it didn't work out for you! It got quite thick for me - I was surprised that it was so thick considering I didn't add any pectin. And I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't sickeningly sweet. By the amount of sugar I thought it would be very sweet. Guess it doesn't work for everyone! Good luck with your pectin recipe! :)
DeleteBeautiful pictures and great encouragement on the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI have a question regarding the jars that you use. How long does the rubber gasket last before the jam requires refrigeration?
Thanks and Blessings,
Trisha
I followed directions and boiled to over 210 F, but even though it reached that temperature gradually, it burned. Could the temperature be a misprint?
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's possible - I didn't measure the temperature at all and went by time/look. I would say you should use a combination of time, temperature and look. If you've boiled it for over 40 minutes and it still hasn't reached the recommended temperature but it looks thickened, you can be pretty sure it's done. You can always test a little of the jam on a cold plate to see if it's thick enough. One thing I just thought of: how thick of a pan did you use? Sorry it didn't work out for you!
DeleteI made this, and it turned out great. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteGracewhimsy.blogspot.com
These peach jam look so delicious. Would be amazing spread on a ginger muffin
ReplyDeleteI grew up with peach trees in the yard and anything peach is my favorite. I found you while searching pinterest to find the old fashioned recipe I remembered before I started using added pectin. I will give this a try and may even try with less sugar.
ReplyDeleteI have made jams and preserves for 50 years. I have a suggestion to the above question about burning. As the recipe states you do need to cook them at MEDIUM heat. On my stove that means set of 4 or 5 and do stir constantly. I have a wooden spoon that is kind of square in the bottom and will get in the edges. I never have my jams burn with that method. Thanks for reminding me the old fashioned way. I remember Mama dropping the bits of jam in cool water to see if it would set up but this gives me the confidence to try it again myself!
Thank you for the tips! I know that my stove's "medium" is much hotter than my family's stove - it takes a bit of adjustment. :) Hope you enjoy the jam!
DeleteWhere did you get the jars for this?! I love the simplicity of this jam and can't wait to make it!!!
ReplyDeleteMy jars are the tulip jam jars from Weck. I purchased mine at Terrain, but you can get them at West Elm, World Market, Amazon, etc. Hope you enjoy the jam! :)
DeleteThey have the spoon now for$1.95
ReplyDeleteThey have the spoons on clearance for $1.95.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so delicious! And it should retain the rich flavor, since it's pectin-free. The good thing about homemade jams is that you’re doing things your way, and thus you are free to pick which ingredients you will use. Anyway, I hope you've solved your issue regarding peachless winters. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
ReplyDeleteFaith Thomas @ The Berry Farm
Yes, I love knowing exactly what ingredients go into my food. :) Sadly I would probably need to buy twice as many peaches as I normally do to get us through winter - we love our peaches! :D
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