Ooh La La Fresh Peach Jam!

peach jam

In the middle of next winter, you will be overjoyed that you made Peach Jam in August.  The wonderful peach flavour is captured at the peak of freshness.

At the local Farmer’s Market, Red Haven peaches are at their prime right now.  When you slip the skins off these peaches, the flesh still has a reddish tinge to it.   This colour is transferred to the cooked jam.

Red haven peach

Red Haven Peaches are a freestone peach with streaks of red running through the flesh.

I am fortunate to have the opportunity to buy peaches they were still on the tree the day before I get them.  I leave them on the kitchen counter for two days.  They are then just ripe and perfect for preserving.

If you purchase peaches at the local grocery store, try to buy the ones that are still hard, but not green and have a very coloured skin. Let them ripen at room temperature.

Peach Jam

Serves 8 cups or 2 L
Inspiration CERTO Liquid Pectin recipe insert

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups chopped fresh peaches (about 4 or 5 large peaches)
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 7 1/2 Cups white sugar
  • 2 Pouches CERTO Liquid Pectin

Directions

It is important to sterilize the jars. The jars should be washed with soapy water, rinsed and then filled with boiling water, before they are filled with the jam.
The lids should be placed in boiled water (boiled and still warm, but not boiling) to activate the rubber on the lid. The lids cannot be reused. Replacement lids are available at most hardware stores or even the grocery stores during canning season.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Fill a large bowl with water and add ice to it. Immerse the peaches into the boiling water for 14 seconds and then drop them in the cold water bath. In this way, the skins will slip off, but the peaches will not cook.
peach jam
Slip the skins off the peaches and finely chop. I like to hold the peach in my hand and make vertical and then horizontal cuts. The flesh will then fall off in nicely sized pieces. You want some pieces of peach in your jam, but if the pieces are too big, the fruit will float to the top and not stay evenly mixed in the jam.
Peach Jam
Choose a large stock pot for your jam. When the jam is cooking, the level in the jam will be almost double what it is to begin with, so you need to leave a lot of room or be prepared to clean up a big mess on your stove.
Add the chopped peaches, lemon juice and sugar to the stock pot. Stir the ingredients together. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. A rolling boil is one that you cannot stir down. Boil hard for one minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the CERTO Liquid Pectin. Stir and skim off any fruit foam with a metal spoon for 5 minutes, to prevent floating fruit. Foam contains a lot of air and although it won't hurt you, it will reduce shelf life of the jam.
Ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars within 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) of top of jars. Wipe jar rims removing any food residue. Centre sealing discs on jar rims. Screw band down until resistance is met.
peach jam
As the jam cools, the lids will snap making a seal with the top of the jar. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours. Do not retighten screw bands. Write the year on the top of the lid. Store jars in a cool dark place.

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