Name: Peach jam (no pectin needed)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5 cups chopped peaches; 1 ¼ cups sugar; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Homemade Peach Jam (no pectin needed) – a 3-ingredient, easy to make fruity, summery and delicious jam to make with fresh peaches but enjoy it all year round!

With just some fresh peaches, sugar and a dash of lemon juice, making a homemade peach jam with absolutely no preservatives or zillion other ingredients you will find in a store bought one is super duper easy and quick.

You may not believe it, but this jam is the one I made in 2021 and am just sharing the recipe with you now in 2022 during the peak peach season and to my delight, I am still enjoying that jam, bottles of which I have in my fridge; lasts that long!

HOMEMADE PEACH JAM USING HOMEGROWN PEACHES:

Yes! We are fortunate enough to have a peach tree in our backyard (in San Diego, USA).

Initially, after first buying the house and when the tree started flowering, we had no idea what fruit it was but on doing some online research, we found out it was peaches that was growing in our own backyard!

Once they started to form fruit and began ripening and falling off the tree, we had to scramble to use them up as they were ripening at a lightning speed and if we did not use them up, they were going to get spoilt!

So, we got cracking by enjoying sharing some with friends, some we enjoyed as a fruit, some in juices, some as fruit leather (pureed, spread on a silicone mat and dried them up in the sun until it forms like a fruit leather), some in desserts and of course, to enjoy it all year long, by making peach jam!

We felt so ecstatic and excited when first tasting our first homemade peach jam on toasted whole wheat bread as well as on bagels for breakfast!

The sweetness was just right and the flavors were just incomparable to any store bought jam!

BASIC INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE 3-INGREDIENT HOMEMADE PEACH JAM:

Like I said, just fresh ripe peaches, sugar and a dash of lemon juice.

The natural pectin in lemons will set the peach jam; no need to add store bought pectin!

Did I mention we have a couple of lemon trees too?

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PEACH JAM:

It is super easy and needs no special talent!

Squeeze some lemon juice from fresh lemons and set aside.

If you feel like, you can add the zest of lemon too for added flavor in the jam but remove the zest (only the yellow portions of the skin, not white, using a fine grater) before juicing it.

Just wash, peel, remove the pit (both are the only time consuming chores) and chop peaches into small pieces.

(If the peaches are perfectly ripe with no bruises on the skin, feel free to leave the skin on. Just make sure to mash them in the jamming process).

Add to a saucepan along with sugar and mix well.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. You can mash the chunks if preferred to get a smoother jam using the ladle.

Simmer until the mixture turns slightly thicker and leaves a trail when a ladle is drawn in the pan.

Or, place a small blob on a cold plate (place the plate in a freezer for a few minutes to chill) and then when tilted, if it comes down as a mass, then the jam is ready.

Squeeze in lemon juice, mix well, simmer a few more minutes and then remove from heat.

Let cool and then bottle in sterilized or sun dried glass bottles.

My son wanted to make Bourbon Peach Jam so I stirred in a few tablespoons of bourbon in the simmering jam and that was ready too!

Nothing beats the feeling of making your own homemade jam and then savoring it every time you use it up,

It is so easy to make, delicious and lasts in the fridge for at least a year! I can vouch for it as I just finished the 2021 batch of jam last month, in June 2022!

Nothing like a slather of fresh, fruity, natural, homemade peach jam on your morning toast with your first cuppa coffee!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!

If you love making homemade jams, jellies or chutneys, then you must check out these too:

Now, let's make some Peach Jam shall we?

Peach jam (no pectin needed)

A 3-ingredient, easy to make fruity, summery and delicious jam to make with fresh, seasonal peaches but enjoy it all year round!

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

5 cups chopped peaches
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

METHOD:

Squeeze out lemon juice from fresh lemons and set aside; 2-3 tablespoons.
If you feel like, you can add the zest of lemon too for added flavor in the jam but remove the zest (only the yellow portions of the skin, not white using a fine grater) before juicing it.
Just wash, peel, remove the pit (both are the only time consuming chores) and chop peaches into small pieces.
If the peaches are absolutely fresh and ripe with no bruises on the skin, feel free to leave the skin on but make sure to mash it well when making jam.
Add to a saucepan along with sugar and mix well.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. You can mash the chunks if preferred to get a smoother jam as you cook, using the ladle.
Simmer until the mixture turns slightly thicker and leaves a trail when a ladle is drawn in the pan. (This can take about 30 minutes to 40 minutes depending upon the quality of peaches and amount of sugar).
Or, place a small blob of the hot jam on a cold plate (place the plate in a freezer for a few minutes to chill) and then when tilted, if it comes down as a mass, then the jam is ready. If not, continue to cook.
Squeeze in lemon juice, mix well, simmer a few more minutes and then remove from heat.
Let cool completely before bottling it in sterilized or dry bottles/jars.
Store in refrigerator and use only a dry spoon when you need to spoon out the jam to enjoy on bread, toasts, sandwiches etc.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!

Recipe Notes

Adjust the amount of sugar according to the sweetness of the peaches.
If you like, you can add a dash of bourbon to make bourbon peach jam at the end of the cooking process.
Make sure to use a dry spoon every time you use the jam.
Enjoy this easy, homemade peach jam on toasts, in sandwiches, in baked pastries etc.
Same recipe can be used to make apricot jam.
Happy Eating!