At 7 am, 3 of us decided to make peach jam. I had already done a few batches in July- so I was ready. 2 peaches is one cup and we need 10 cups of peaches. So- 20 peaches, firm but give under pressure of your thumb, and 5 cups of sugar for each batch. We sterilized the new jars and lids, (wide mouth pints work really well unless these are gifts and then get the cute one cup jars) drained them and let them cool. The hardest part is probably peeling the peaches. You need a pot of hot water- almost boiling, and a bowl of ice cold water. Working a half dozen at a time, put peaches in the hot water for 3 minutes, then the ice bath for 3 minutes, then to the “peeling area”. Peels should come off pretty easy. Slice the peaches into a large heavy duty pan, and once all 20 peaches are done- start them on a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice- fresh is best and watch the magic happen. As the peaches come to a boil, they become juicier. Once they have a good boil going- add the 5 cups of sugar and stir. Bring back to a boil and since we are not adding pectin, let them boil about 30 minutes. Add a tablespoon of butter or margarine to keep the foam down. Stir, watch them but you don’t have to stay right there- this is where a “good” pan pays off. After 30 minutes, start testing the jam- put a teaspoon on a tablespoon and throw in the freezer. After a minute, check the consistency. You want it to be nice soft jam- not runny.
Once you have the jam thickened like you like it- turn off the pan. Ladle into your sterilized jars- wipe the rim with a clean wet cloth. Place on the seal and rims, close but not too tight. Bring water to boil in the largest pan you have- and lower the finished jams into the water. 5 minutes later- remove and cool. You should hear a nice POP as they seal. These can hang out in the pantry for a year or so. Good luck with that part…..
Ingredients
- 20 fresh peaches
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
- 5-10 jars depending on size- 1 cup to 2 cup
One reply on “peach jam day”
Question, do I NEED to remove the peels? Will it affect the way the jam thickens, or will the only difference be that I have peels in my jam? :p