This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Perfectly sweetened and wonderfully spiced jam with just a hint of cinnamon, Homemade Peach Jam has been a staple in our home for about 15 years.
Every year, I wait until we can order peaches by the case. Then I roll up my sleeves and set to work making and canning a year’s worth of delicious jam.
Several years ago, about the time I started this website, the summer’s peaches were very late getting to our area. They finally arrived the day before I was headed out of town. I was looking forward to making jam just as soon as they were at the perfect stage of ripeness.
I glanced around at all my wonderful peaches and panicked because I knew they were going to be way past perfect by the time I returned home. I was on my way to being disappointed; when Sean very casually told me that he’d take care of it.
Now, I admit that jam making is not difficult. It is actually quite easy. However, it can also be time-consuming (especially, when you are not familiar with it all) and it is not a simple thing to accomplish with three small children running through the house all weekend.
I assured him that he shouldn’t worry about it, but if he really wanted to do it, I would set out the recipe and the jars for him.
Well, I came home a couple of days later to 24 jars of peach jam. Perfectly sweetened and wonderfully spiced jam with just a hint of cinnamon.
Did Sean really want to spend his time making jam this past weekend? That’s doubtful. But he did it to make my life easier and that makes every bite of this delicious jam taste even more delicious.
When I first posted this recipe on the site in 2011, it was just the photo of those jam jars. I’ve since updated the post with a video, and plenty of step-by-step photos. I hope it’s helpful to you in your jam-making endeavors.
Peach Jam
Store-bought jams and preserves just can’t compare with the taste of the homemade stuff and this peach jam is no exception.
Nothing says “summer” like biting into a fresh, sweet, juicy peach at the perfect stage of ripeness. This jam manages to capture all that spectacular warm weather flavor in a jar for eating any time of the year.
Peach Jam jam is phenomenal on all kinds of breads, muffins, and scones.
Toast a slice of Tender High Rising Gluten Free Sandwich Bread or English Muffin Bread and spread with a thick layer of peach jam for a sweet way to start the day. Blueberry Bran Muffins and Peach Jam are another great breakfast pairing to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee or tea.
Did you know you can also put peach jam in homemade ice cream? I found this out after a happy accident with a jar of peach jam lead to a surprising frozen treat in the form of Strawberry Peach Jam Ice Cream.
How to Make Peach Jam
There are so many peach jam recipes out there but this one is my go-to for a daily spread. Like many recipes, it starts with plenty of fresh peaches, sugar, and pectin. Lemon juice adds both a tart flavor and acidity that helps with the “preserving” part of homemade preserves.
I add just a touch of cinnamon or allspice to the recipe for the perfect amount of spice. It’s enough to give this jam a hint of something special without totally overwhelming that incredible peach flavor.
When you serve this jam, don’t be surprised if you’re peppered with questions about what that secret ingredient is that makes it so darn good.
Canning Peach Jam
This is a fairly standard and easy recipe for canning jam but, as I mentioned before, it is time-consuming. Set aside a good chunk of time for getting the jam prepared and processed and make sure all your equipment is clean and ready to go before you get started.
For this recipe, I use the hot water bath method of processing jars. You don’t need any fancy canning equipment!
Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never canned your own preserves before. It’s easy to learn and a fantastic skill to have in your toolbox. My friend Rebecca has a good Canning Basics guide here with more tips!
Once you get started making your own homemade jam, there’s a whole world of recipes out there for you to explore.
Peach Jam Recipe
- Sort and wash fully ripe peaches. Remove stems, skins, bruises, and pits. Chop peaches and add to a large pot.
- Crush or smash the peaches. Add lemon juice and pectin; stir well. Place on high heat and, while stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil with bubbles over the entire surface.
- Add the sugar and spices all at once and heat again to a full bubbling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute (set a timer), stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat; skim the foam off the top. (We keep the foam in the refrigerator and enjoy it on toast for the next couple of days. I love it warm straight off the stove as well!)
- Pour immediately into sterile canning jars. Fill the jars to 1/4 inch from the top. Seal them and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Habanero Peach Jam is a spicy hot pepper jam spin on this recipe that’s delicious on toast, crackers, and any which way you eat it. Cranberry Pepper Jam is another sweet and spicy variety that’s perfect to give as a gift and enjoy yourself.
Not all jams have to be sweet! Tomato Jam is a savory preserve (with just a touch of sweetness from fresh ripe tomatoes) that I especially love to eat spread on fluffy biscuits and cornbread.
But if you only make one jam recipe in your life, this Peach Jam is an excellent choice. Full of fruity, peachy goodness and simple and straightforward to make, this is one recipe you’ll want to make every peach season for years to come.
Homemade Peach Jam
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh peaches – 4 cups crushed this was about 7 medium size peaches
- 1 package powdered pectin (approximately 1.75 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 5 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or allspice
Instructions
- Sort and wash fully ripe peaches. Remove stems, skins, bruises and pits. Crush peaches.
- Measure crushed peaches into a large pot. Add lemon juice and pectin; stir well. Place on high heat and, while stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil with bubbles over the entire surface. Add the sugar and spices all at once and heat again to a full bubbling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute (set a timer), stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat; skim foam off the top. (We keep the foam in the refrigerator and enjoy it on toast for the next couple of days. I love it warm straight off the stove as well!)
- Pour immediately into sterile canning jars. Fill the jars to 1/4 inch from the top. Seal them and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 9/26/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/31/23}
The jam is good but way too sweet :/ I used 4 cups of sugar bc I know I like a tart jam and even then it was really sweet
did you use Sure Jell or Ball Classic Fruit Pectin? I ask because I have Ball Pectin on hand, and not sure if they are exactly the same product. any guidance would help as I would love to make this recipe.
I typically have sure jell on hand, but I’ve used both interchangeably. You should be fine with that, Lori.
I made three batches of the jam yesterday and followed the recipe all 3 times. All three are as runny as gravy?? I waited until today to give it time to firm. All I had on hand was “Hoosier Hill Farm’s” fruit pectin.
Their products have always been great to use. Should “Ball” or “Sure-Jell” make that much difference?
Is there a way to go back and re-boil with more pectin, or have I just lost a 1/2 bushel of peaches??
Please help!
Yes! You can re-boil and add pectin. I’ve never used Hoosier Hill’s pectin, and I know that all pectins aren’t created equal, but adding more and reboiling should fix it. How much pectin did you add? I looked around online and it appears that you’ll need about 6 tablespoons to swap for the 1.75 oz box of the others. (That’s simply what I found online and I have no idea why you’d need that much more.) Sorry I can’t be more helpful in this case!
Extremely sweet using the required amount of sugar.
Inedible, cut back on the sugar if you want to taste fruit.
I’m sorry to hear that the jam wasn’t a hit for you. Jam is typically very sweet and this is a traditional recipe. However, you can safely reduce the sugar by up to half if you use a low sugar pectin next time.
Nice step by step recipe but it would be nice to have an alternative low sugar option posted. We found this much to sweet as well. We know it is supposed to be sweet but it was too much.
As stated, this is a traditional, sweet jam recipe. However, you can safely reduce the sugar by up to half if you use a low sugar pectin next time.
I was amazed how easy it sat.And how lovely it tasted.
I’m thrilled it’s a win for you.
Thank you for the recipe going to try to make peach jam
Happy jam making!
I made this several years ago and it’s a winner, we can’t decide if we like the plain or the spiced better, for spices I use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. allspice. I also ad a Tbsp. of butter to cut down on the foam. I don’t mash my peaches, just chop them into small (1/4″) pieces because we like the pieces of whole fruit on our toast & English muffins. This is my picky son’s favorite jam ever! I just finished making the first batch for this years cupboard and will be making another batch tomorrow.
I’m so glad you like it!
PEOPLE!! Jam is sweet! And peaches are sweet! I’m so sorry that the author is getting these comments. This is a perfect, textbook peach jam recipe. It is foolproof- if your jam didn’t set, you’re not measuring exact quantities. Thanks for this recipe that’s exactly what I needed, especially since Sure Gel isn’t putting the recipe sheet in their boxes anymore. The cinnamon is just enough to give this a special twist. Love it.
I know, Sally. It just makes me laugh. Thanks for defending the jam. It really is the perfect peach jam.
Hi Sally! I’m always finding the recipe page in my boxes of Sure Jell pectin box. It’s the same recipe, except it actually calls for 5 1/2 cups sugar and doesn’t mention the cinnamon/netmeg or allspice, but that definitely would be good. It makes great jam!
This recipe is great, I chop my peaches for a little more texture and some time I switch and use half brown sugar instead of all white. And people please,Jam is supposed to be sweet!!! But you can taste it before canning and always have the chance to add more if you cut back on the sugar at the start
can this be a refrigerated jam?
Sure.
Can this recipe be doubled successfully? Or do I need to just make the small batches?
Jam recipes do not double well. I always make multiple (regular sized) batches.
I can’t keep this jam in my pantry for long, my family keeps coming over and asking “oh before I go would love another jar of peach jam if you could spare one” I’ve made 4 batches so far this summer and only 2 jars left. The peaches at my farmers market have been amazing this year so of course the jam is incredible as well. This is a great recipe and has been a big hit so far!
Awe! I love this!
Is it possible to use liquid pectin ?
If not, can I refrigerate 5 peeled peaches til tomorrow ?? Thank you ! 🍑
Yes, you can absolutely refrigerate the prepared peaches. You’d need to adjust the recipe for a liquid pectin.
Can you use brown sugar instead of white sugar?
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t know why not, Sara. It will change the flavor profile a good bit.
My Jam has not set. At what point is it sapose to? I doubled the recipe, using 2 packs of sure Jell and just 6 cups of sugar. Put my jars in the in hot bath for 5 minutes, but the jam has not set. Can you please advise?
Unfortunately, jam recipes are not adaptable for doubling, Melanie. That’s likely why it hasn’t set. And changing the amount of sugar changed the structure of the recipe. You might be able to salvage it, but dividing it in half, adding more sugar and boiling again. However, it might be best to simply enjoy it as a syrup or topping for ice cream.
Beautiful jam. The cinnamon is the secret….it has that umami…loved it. I had made enough to last till next yeah but I keep sharing my jars cause is that good. Got peaches again to restock.
I’m so glad you love it!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. First I want to say the recipe was amazing just as it is. Now, I was reading through the comments and while yes it can be sweet which jam is supposed to be I found a way to cut the sweetness down. The recommendation is not to cut the sugar which I remember my mom saying will change how the jam sets but rather add additional lemon juice. Add the extra lemon juice after the sugar and do this a little at a time. I prefer fresh lemon juice over bottled, so I used 3 lemons total. Turned out really good. Also, thank you for the hint to add the butter to cut the foam worked beautifully. I ended up with 9 -8oz jars. So I may have been heavy handed with the peaches. Thank you again. Next up is the Peach Habanero Jam.
I’m thrilled that you like the jam so much, Donna! The extra lemon does help balance everything out. I actually am not the source of the added butter tip. Dairy is not traditionally recommended as safe for canning, but a teaspoon or so likely won’t cause problems. I hesitate to recommend that though, as I am not comfortable with it myself.