Introduction
Oh, sweet peaches! There’s just something magical about biting into a perfectly ripe, juicy peach, isn’t there? It screams summer sunshine and lazy days. And what if I told you you could capture that glorious peach flavor and keep it around long after peach season is over? Forget complicated canning and boiling hot water baths! This super simple peach freezer jam recipe is your new best friend. It’s so quick and easy, you can whip up a batch on a whim, and the fresh, bright taste is absolutely heavenly. Spread it on toast, swirl it into yogurt, or just eat it with a spoon (no judgment here!).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
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Fast: Seriously, you can be done in under 30 minutes!
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Easy: No special skills needed, just simple mixing.
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Giftable: Pack it into cute jars, and you’ve got the perfect homemade gift.
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Crowd-pleasing: Who doesn’t love fresh peach jam?
Ingredients
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3 ⅓ cups peaches, peeled and diced: Choose ripe, fragrant peaches for the best flavor. Dicing them gives you lovely little fruit bits throughout the jam.
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1 ⅓ cups sugar: This is where the sweetness comes from and also helps the jam set.
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4 Tbsp. instant freezer pectin: Make sure it’s pectin specifically for freezer or no-cook jams! It’s the magic ingredient that helps it gel up without cooking.
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2 Tbsp. lemon juice: Brightens the peach flavor and helps with setting and preservation.
How to Make It
Ready to make some jam magic? Grab your ingredients and let’s get started!
First things first, get those beautiful diced peaches ready. You’ll want about 3 ⅓ cups. Pop them into a large bowl – pick one with plenty of room so you can stir easily.
Next, add your 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and all 4 tablespoons of that instant freezer pectin right into the bowl with the peaches. Give it a good stir to combine everything.
Let that mixture hang out for about 3 minutes. While it’s standing, give it a little stir every now and then. This lets the pectin start doing its job.
Now, measure out your 1 ⅓ cups of sugar and add it to the peach mixture. Don’t be shy!
Here’s where you get your arm workout! Stir the mixture vigorously for a full 3 minutes. Keep stirring until you can’t feel any sugar crystals scraping against the bottom of the bowl when you stir. You want that sugar completely dissolved.
Once it’s all smooth and the sugar is gone, it’s time to fill your jars! Make sure your jars are clean and freezer-safe. Ladle the jam into the jars, leaving about ½ inch of space at the top. This is called headspace, and it’s important to allow for expansion when freezing.
Don’t put them in the fridge or freezer just yet! Let the filled jars sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This gives the pectin time to finish setting the jam properly.
And just like that, you’re done! You’ve made homemade peach jam!
Substitutions & Additions
Want to mix things up? Here are a few ideas:
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Other Fruits: You can often swap out peaches for other fruits suitable for freezer jam, like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. Just be sure to check the specific directions for that fruit as pectin amounts might vary slightly.
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Spices: A pinch of cinnamon, a tiny grating of fresh ginger, or a little cardamom could add a lovely warmth to the peach flavor. Add sparingly at the same time as the lemon juice.
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Less Sugar? Be cautious when reducing sugar in jam recipes, especially with pectin. Sugar is crucial for both sweetness and setting. Reducing it too much can result in a runny jam. Recipes designed for less sugar typically use a special type of pectin.
Tips for Success
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Use Ripe but Firm Peaches: Overly mushy peaches can affect the texture. You want them ripe enough for great flavor but still holding their shape when diced.
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Measure Accurately: Especially the pectin and sugar. Freezer jam relies on precise ratios to set correctly.
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Stir, Stir, Stir: Don’t skimp on that 3 minutes of vigorous stirring after adding the sugar. Undissolved sugar means your jam won’t set properly.
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Clean Jars are Key: While you’re not traditionally canning, clean jars prevent mold or spoilage in the fridge or freezer.
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Don’t Overfill: Leave that ½ inch headspace! It’s essential for freezing safety as the jam expands.
How to Store It
Once your jam has sat at room temperature for 30 minutes and set up nicely, you have a couple of options.
For immediate enjoyment or short-term storage, keep the jars in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh and delicious for up to 3 weeks.
For longer storage, pop those jars into the freezer! Freezer jam gets its name because the freezer is its happy place. It will keep beautifully for up to 1 year. When you’re ready to use a frozen jar, just transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw for about 24 hours before opening.
FAQs
Q: Can I use frozen peaches?
A: Yes! Thaw them first, drain off any excess liquid, and then measure out your 3 ⅓ cups of diced peaches. The texture might be slightly softer than using fresh, but the flavor will still be great.
Q: Does this recipe work with liquid pectin?
A: No, this recipe is specifically designed for instant freezer pectin (which is usually powdered). The instructions and ratios are different for liquid pectin or traditional cooking pectin.
Q: My jam seems a little runny, what happened?
A: The most common culprits are not stirring the sugar long enough until it was fully dissolved, or potentially not using the correct type or amount of pectin. Make sure you’re using pectin specifically for freezer or no-cook jams!
The Easiest Homemade Peach Freezer Jam (No Canning Required!)
Equipment
- Large bowl with plenty of room
- Jar(s) clean and freezer-safe, leave ½ inch headspace
- ladle
Ingredients
Jam Ingredients
- 3.33 cup peaches peeled and diced, ripe and fragrant
- 1.33 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp instant freezer pectin Make sure it's pectin specifically for freezer or no-cook jams!
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Get those beautiful diced peaches ready. You'll want about 3 ⅓ cups. Pop them into a large bowl – pick one with plenty of room so you can stir easily.
- Next, add your 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and all 4 tablespoons of that instant freezer pectin right into the bowl with the peaches. Give it a good stir to combine everything.
- Let that mixture hang out for about 3 minutes. While it's standing, give it a little stir every now and then. This lets the pectin start doing its job.
- Now, measure out your 1 ⅓ cups of sugar and add it to the peach mixture.
- Stir the mixture vigorously for a full 3 minutes. Keep stirring until you can't feel any sugar crystals scraping against the bottom of the bowl when you stir. You want that sugar completely dissolved.
- Once it's all smooth and the sugar is gone, it's time to fill your jars! Make sure your jars are clean and freezer-safe. Ladle the jam into the jars, leaving about ½ inch of space at the top.
- Don't put them in the fridge or freezer just yet! Let the filled jars sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This gives the pectin time to finish setting the jam properly.