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 ¼ 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 ¼ inch from the top. Seal them and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Nutrition
{originally published 9/26/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/31/23}
Marion Seman says
What happens when you pour the sugar, pectin and lemon juice all in at one time with the fruit and cooked to a rolling boil then I added one more minute for another rolling boil? Will it still turn out?
Mary Younkin says
I’m honestly not sure, Marion. I think the consistency may be slightly different, but I wouldn’t imagine that the end result would be heavily affected.
Marion Seman says
My kitchen smells divine! Cannot wait to taste ♥️
PS. I have never put spices in my jam before but, I ♥️ cinnamon.
Mary Younkin says
I hope you love the jam, Marion. Cinnamon is a great spice for sweet treats.
Jessie C says
Hi! How long do these keep for if canned properly? Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Jessie! If the jam is canned and sealed properly, it should keep for a couple years. Enjoy!
Heather says
Can I use liquid pectin instead of powdered?
Mary Younkin says
While you can, I don’t have the measurements for that in the recipe. Typically, you’ll need roughly 3 fluid ounces of pectin for every two tablespoons of powdered pectin; also, instead of adding/stirring in the pectin early in the recipe, you’ll want to add the liquid pectin at the end of cooking, after adding all the sugar/spices/etc. I hope you love the peach jam!
RJ says
We made a similar recipe off the suregel recipe.
1500 g diced peaches
48 g classic pectin
5.5 C sugar
Cooked fruit and pectin till boiling then added sugar and brought to boil for a minute without a timer. But temp was 211f. So about 220 at sea level . Canned for 20 mins at 4700′
Forgot the lemon juice and wife didnt want to use cinnamon.
One batch went through a potato dicer so not sure if it will be jam or jelly but it isnt clear. Only issue is the fruit tries to float up. So after they sealed i set on side for a few hours. So it it will be half jelly and half jam most of the way down. Otherwise the fruit chunks 3/8″ would have been gone in the top half.
Mary Younkin says
That sounds delicious, RJ. I haven’t encountered that situation before; I’m glad to hear that you were able to come up with a satisfying solution. Enjoy, and happy cooking!
Lori Harvey says
How thick is it supposed to be? After bringing to a boil it seemed too runny, so I boiled ten minutes. Then added sugar and pektin and stirred in to boil then boiled two minutes. It seems too runny. Will it set up thicker?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Lori! The jam will thicken a bit as it cools, but it should still be easy to spread. I hope you love the recipe.
Sandi says
So delicious! The cinnamon adds that extra pop of flavour. Will definitely save this recipe and make it again.
Mary Younkin says
The cinnamon adds just the right flavor, doesn’t it, Sandi? I’m happy to hear that the jam is becoming a staple in your kitchen.
Danya says
Why would it not set up ?
I used 4 cups of sugar instead of 5.
Could this be it ?
That’s the only change in the recipe and we followed direction !
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Danya! Yes, changing the amount of sugar while keeping all the other ingredients the same would affect the consistency of your end result. Without the sugar, the mixture won’t be as thick.
Ashleigh says
This was my first attempt at peach jam and oh boy was this SO DELICIOUS! I made it exactly as the recipe stated, EXCEPT I put in 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 allspice. This jam tastes like a warm hug from Grandma! I am coming back to this recipe to make another batch because my husband keeps giving it away because it’s so good.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad the peach jam may become a staple in your kitchen, Ashleigh. It sounds like your first batch was a hit! Adding cinnamon and allspice sounds like a delicious decision. Enjoy, and happy cooking!
Diane Yule says
This recipe is so good! I’ve never made jam before and the recipe was easy to follow and it’s a big hit with anyone I gift a jar to! Thank you for this now tried and true recipe!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad to hear that the jam was such a success, Diane! Happy cooking.
Connie says
Absolutely delicious and perfect! It was easy to make too!! Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
You are welcome, Connie. I hope you continue to love the jam. Happy cooking!
Shea says
I followed the directions correctly and I canned the peaches. It is a little to runny for my liking. How can I fix this? Can I re can after I make it thicker. Thanks so much
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Shea! If you’ve already canned the jam, unfortunately I don’t think there’s much you can do. The jam should thicken slightly over time, but it likely won’t have a very different consistency.
Shelly says
Great recipe. I lowered the sugar a bit because my peaches were so sweet. The cinnamon is delicious. I did some without the cinnamon, still delicious! Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
You’re welcome, Shelly! Happy to hear that you’re loving the peach jam.
Cathy Warner says
Have you ever tried a dash of almond extract? Gonna be making some peach jam, and thought it
might add to the peach flavor.
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Cathy. I haven’t tried adding almond extract to this recipe before, but adding a small dash probably wouldn’t hurt the recipe. If you decide to try the jam with almond extract, let me know how it turns out!
Helen says
I used less sugar than the recipe called for (2 cups), and it still came out wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Mary Younkin says
You are welcome, Helen. I’m happy to hear that you’re loving the peach jam.
Helen says
A wonderful recipe for our peaches that finally grew after 3 years! Can’t wait until next year to make more. Thanks for sharing.
Mary Younkin says
You are welcome, Helen. I hope your next harvest is even better than this one.
Diane says
I made this recipe and once it cooled down, its still very runny in the jars. Is there a way to fix this and make it more like jam?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Diane! Once the jam is sealed in the jars, there’s not much you can do. However, it will probably thicken a bit; the jam is usually runny when it’s just been preserved.
Michelle says
I’ve never made jam before–until now and making this jam was easy and delicious! I doubled the recipe and cut the sugar back by 1.5 cups even replacing some of it with monk fruit sugar. The consistency was still thick. My hubby & I couldn’t get over how well the cinnamon complimented the jam! It really set it a part of other peach jams we’ve tried and my parents loved a jar we gave them too!
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad the jam turned out nicely, Michelle. Enjoy!
Pam says
Can you double the batch to fill pint jars?
Mary Younkin says
Hi Pam, as much as I’d love to say yes, jam recipes do not double nicely most of the time. When I have an overabundance of fruit to use, I simply make repeated single batches. When I’ve tried to shortcut that by doubling in the past, it rarely sets well.
Pam says
Thanks for your reply.
Michelle Andrade says
Is the sugar necessary? Can I use a liquid splenda?
Thank you… my peaches are hanging out in a water bath as I type lol
Mary Younkin says
Unfortunately, jam and jelly recipes aren’t that easily adapted. There are however recipes for SF jams and pectins designed for that purpose.