Easy peach jam without pectin – preserve the wonderful summer flavors by making this homemade peach jam recipe.
Make this peach jam without pectin now, at the end of the season, and you'll be so happy to enjoy these summer flavors when winter comes.
Summer is almost over, and the peach season is almost at its end as well, but we can still buy lots of peaches at the farmer’s market and pretty much anywhere. And they are better than ever: ripe, sweet, juicy… I eat one almost daily, over the sink, letting the juices run down my chin and hand… So good!
If you have a glut of juicy peaches or nectarines, how about making this amazing Nectarine Cake, this Peach Cake with Sour Cream, this Peach Cobbler Bread, this Peach Blueberry Smoothie, or this Fresh Peach Compote. Or try a Chicken Salad with Grilled Peaches.
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Can you make peach jam without pectin?
What is pectin?
Pectin is a starch that naturally occurs in fruit and can be produced commercially. When heated with sugar, it thickens and jellies the fruit's liquid. Apples and most berries, especially currants, have a lot of pectin and don't need help jellying. Peaches have a medium pectin content, so adding lemon juice, which is high in pectin, helps with jellying and adds flavor.
For this jam, you won't need powdered pectin; the fruit and lemon provide enough.
The peach preserves will be slightly runny, with soft fruit pieces in a glossy, thick jelly—a total delight!
Recipe ingredients
Ripe peaches: You will need 2.2 lbs/ 1 kg of fresh fruit weighed after stoning. If you buy 2.5 lbs/ 1.2 kg, it will be fine. The fruit should be ripe but not overripe or bruised. If it has bruises, make sure to remove those spots with a paring knife.
You can use nectarines instead of peaches.
Granulated sugar: about 3 ¾ cups of sugar.
One large lemon
Two star anise: These are optional. They impart the jam a wonderful flavor, but only use them if you like a spicier kind of jam or if you like anise flavor generally.
Optional spices: vanilla, cardamom, and a touch of nutmeg.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make peach jam?
Sterilize jars:
- You should sterilize the jars while the peaches are cooking. Although the latest research states that sterilizing jars is unnecessary if you can the jars in a water bath after filling, I prefer to do it. The habit, I suppose.
- Hot oven method: Preheat the oven to 280°F/ 140°C. Wash the jars and lids in soapy water. Place only the clean jars on a baking tray. Leave them in the oven for about 15 minutes. To sterilize the lids, boil them for about 5 minutes. It’s preferable to fill the jars while they are still hot.
Prepare the fruit: Wash and dry it. Remove the stones (1), cut each peach into 6 or 8 wedges, and cut those into small pieces (2).
- Step #1: Place the chopped fruit into a large pot.
- Step #2: Add lemon juice, bring to a boil on medium-low heat, and simmer for 10 minutes until the pieces are softer.
- Step #3: Stir in the sugar and star anise if using. Turn up the heat and stir well for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
- Step #4: Bring to a low simmer and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes until set. Scrape the bottom of the pot well when stirring to prevent the preserves from catching.
- Step #5: Blend or leave the jam as it is. Transfer it to jars. Place the jars on a folded kitchen towel to cool completely at room temperature.
How long to cook the preserves?
There are two methods of checking if the peach jam without pectin is ready.
Thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab): the preserves should have reached a temperature of 104°C/ 220°F. However, the temperature needed for the jam to set is slightly different depending on the altitude; the higher the altitude, the lower the gel point temperature of the preserves. Here is a list that makes things easier.
· Sea level – 104 C/ 220 F
· 300 m/ 1000 feet – 102 C/ 216 F
· 900 m/ 3000 feet – 101 C/ 214 F
· 1200 m/ 4000 feet – 100 C/ 212 F
· 1500 m/ 5000 feet – 99 C/ 211 F
· 1800 m/ 6000 feet – 98 C/ 209 F
· 2100 m/ 7000 feet – 97 C/ 207 F
Cold saucer: If you don’t have a digital thermometer, you can check using the cold saucer method.
Place a saucer in the freezer before you start preparing the preserves.
After 15 minutes, take the saucer out and pour about one teaspoon of jam onto the freezer-cold plate. Let it sit for about 30 seconds. Run a line through the middle of the jam pool with your finger—it should wrinkle slightly, and the two parts should remain separated. If they don’t, continue cooking the jam for another two minutes and check again.
For a thicker consistency, add another couple of minutes to the cooking time. Be cautious not to overcook it, as it may make spooning the peaches out of the jars difficult.
Always remove the pot from the heat while checking to stop the cooking process. If it continues cooking during the check, it might overcook.
Smooth or chunky jam?
Smooth jam: Blend the preserves with an immersion blender (or in a food processor). Make sure you wear mittens and clothes with long sleeves; the hot jam might splatter slightly. If you blend it, you can fill it into jars immediately. Use a funnel; it really makes things easier. Leave about ½ cm/ ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and close well.
Chunky jam (like in the pictures):
Leave the preserves as they are without blending. This creates a beautiful, glossy jam with intact fruit pieces. After cooking, let the jam cool in the pot for about 10 minutes to ensure even distribution of the fruit pieces. Then, ladle the hot preserves into jars, leaving a little headspace. Clean the jar rims and close them tightly.
For a medium chunky spread, mash with a potato masher.
Canning the jam jars
This recipe makes a small batch, yielding about 4 jars of peach jam. You can store the jars in the fridge, where they will keep well for at least 6 months, and probably longer. Alternatively, you can freeze the jam for up to one year.
For a larger batch, if you want to can the peach jam without pectin, use a water bath canner and process the jars for about 10 minutes. Adjust the processing time based on your altitude. After processing, carefully remove the jars from the water bath using a jar lifter, place them on a folded kitchen towel, and let them cool completely.
For reliable and more detailed information on water bath canning, make sure to read these Canning Guidelines (the link opens in a new tab); they are able to answer probably any question you ever had about canning.
How to store peach jam?
Refrigerate: If you haven't canned the jam in a water bath, store it in the refrigerator, where it will stay good for at least six months, likely longer. Once opened, aim to finish the jar within about one month.
Cool, dark place: For jars that were canned in a water bath, store them in a cool, dark place where they will keep for about one year. After opening, refrigerate any remaining jam.
Make this a gift!
I love making homemade presents for my friends and family, and this fresh peach jam is a wonderful present. Some of my favorite things to give as a gift are infused oils or vinegar, like the Wild Garlic Oil and the Cherry Vinegar. Preserved fruit, either with or without alcohol, is great as well. How about the Cherries Kirsch or Amaretto Cherries or some simple Canned Rhubarb or Canned Blueberries? Or try these amazing Cheese Caraway Crackers or some Ginger Snaps with Crystallized Ginger.
Peach Jam without Pectin
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs peaches weighed after stoning, Notes 1,2
- 1.7 lbs granulated sugar
- 1 large lemon
- 2 star anise optional
Instructions
Sterilize the jars:
- Hot oven method: Preheat the oven to 280°F/ 140°C. Wash the jars and lids in soapy water. Place only the clean jars on a baking tray. Leave them in the oven for about 15 minutes. To sterilize the lids, boil them for about 5 minutes. It’s preferable to fill the jars while they are still hot.
Peach jam:
- Chop peaches: Wash the fruit and remove any bruised spots with a small knife. Remove the stone. Cut each peach into 6-8 wedges, cut the wedges into smaller pieces. Place in a large pot. Add lemon juice.2.2 lbs peaches / 1 kg + 1 large lemon
- Cook peaches: Bring the peaches to a boil on medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the pieces are softer.
- Add sugar and star anise if using. Stir well for a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves.1.7 lbs granulated sugar/ 750 g + 2 star anise
- Cook peach jam: Cook on medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes until set. Stir every few minutes and scrape the bottom of the pot well when stirring to prevent the jam from catching.
- Check if the jam is set. (Note 3)
Consistency of the jam:
- Chunky jam: Let the jam cool for about 10 minutes; this will allow the pieces to distribute more evenly. Transfer to jars and seal. Fill the jam into the sterilized jars using a funnel.
- Smooth jam: Blend the preserves with an immersion blender. Transfer to jars and seal.
Can peach jam:
- Can in a water bath or in a canner for 10 minutes, if desired, for a longer shelf-life. Otherwise, keep the jars refrigerated or freeze them.
Notes
- Peaches: Buy about 2.6 lbs/ 1.2 kg of fruit; you will have about 1 kg left after stoning.
- Substitute peaches with nectarines.
- Star anise is optional, as are other spices. You can also use some vanilla or cardamom.
- Temperature: The jam should reach a temperature of 220°F/ 104°C. However, it depends on the altitude; the higher the altitude, the lower the gel point temperature of the preserves.
- Sea level – 104 C/ 220 F
- 300 m/ 1000 feet – 102 C/ 216 F
- 900 m/ 3000 feet – 101 C/ 214 F
- 1200 m/ 4000 feet – 100 C/ 212 F
- 1500 m/ 5000 feet – 99 C/ 211 F
- 1800 m/ 6000 feet – 98 C/ 209 F
- 2100 m/ 7000 feet – 97 C/ 207 F
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