Old-Fashioned Peach Jam {No Canning Needed!}

Peach Jam

Old-fashioned Peach Jam is a summery delight—sweet and sunny, with a flavor so delectable you’ll want to slather it onto everything you eat. Nothing beats homemade!

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Make this peach jam before summer ends!

Peaches are here for a good time, not a long time and now that summer’s winding down, I feel the need to make ALL the peach recipes. Because (hot take!): the peaches they sell at the grocery store in the fall and winter just aren’t living their best life.

So Peach Crisp, Peach Cobbler, and Peach Pancakes are on the agenda, but first up is this Peach Jam.

This is a simple four-ingredient peach jam recipe. While there are plenty of ways to jazz it up, I love just letting that pure peachy flavor shine.
You don’t need to can this recipe, so you don’t need all that intimidating canning equipment. Just store it in the refrigerator and it’ll last a good long time!
You’ll feel like Martha Stewart making your own jam but this recipe is EASY—just 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking time.

Open glass jar filled with peach jam, surrounded by peach slices on a light surface.

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

Fresh Peaches. Nectarines also work. They are literally fuzz-less peaches.
Pectin. Pectin is what makes the jam jammy. Not all fruit needs pectin to turn into a jam, but peaches really benefit from it.
Lemon Juice. This brightens the flavor and makes the peachiness pop.
Granulated Sugar. The sugar is for sweetness, yes, but it’s also a big player in getting that right jammy consistency.

How to Make Peach Jam

A bowl of yellow and red peaches sits in ice water, with a few ice cubes floating around them.

Peeled peaches and diced peach pieces on a wooden cutting board, with a knife beside them.

Prep the Peaches. Score them, drop them in boiling water for a minute, then drop them into ice water. Peel and cut the peaches into chunks and transfer to a saucepan.

Add the Lemon Juice and Pectin. Mash the peaches in the pan, then stir in the pectin and juice.

Bring to a Boil. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.

Add the Sugar. Stir it in until it dissolves. Return to a boil, then once it’s boiling, cook exactly 1 minute more.

Skim the Foam. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off the foam.

Finish. Divide the jam into jars and let them cool to room temperature, then screw on the lids and refrigerate until chilled and set before using. ENJOY!

A spoonful of peach jam held over an open glass jar, with a fresh peach and jar lid in the background.

Variation Ideas

Ben and I love this peach jam just as it is. Keepin’ it simple! But because I can’t resist tinkering with recipes, I do have some ideas for layering in additional flavors.

Add Herbs. Drop some sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, or basil into the pot, then remove them before transferring the jam to jars. They’ll infuse an herbal note into the jam.
Give It Some Spice. Add a cinnamon stick or two, or try sprinkling in cardamom.
Try a Ginger Peach Jam. Cut fresh ginger root into matchsticks and add this to the jam.

What to Serve with Peach Jam

Toast. You can’t go wrong! We’ve been loving it with thick slices of crusty No Knead Bread.
Oatmeal. Swirl a spoonful into Overnight Steel Cut Oats.
Yogurt. Layer your peach jam into a Yogurt Parfaits.
Pancakes and Waffles. Who needs syrup?! Peach jam is even better on Fluffy Pancakes and Blender Whole Wheat Waffles.

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Peach Jam

This homemade 4-ingredient peach jam recipe is a summery delight! No canning needed, just store it in the fridge so it's EASY.

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings cups

Calories 126kcal

Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh peaches about 6 medium
2 tablespoons pectin
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice divided
2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Peel the peaches: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. With a paring knife, score a shallow “X” on the bottom of each peach so that you just pierce the skin. Carefully add peaches to the boiling water (I use tongs). Immediately cover the pot (the peaches will cause the water’s temperature to drop and you want it returning to a boil ASAP) and boil the peaches for 1 minute (uncover the pot as soon as the water returns to a boil). Remove peaches from the pot and plunge them into a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. The peach skins can now be easily removed with you fingers.
Cut the peeled peaches into ½-inch chunks. Place in a medium saucepan and mash. Stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice and pectin. Measure out the sugar and set it by your stove. Set an empty bowl beside it (this is for foam you'll skim off).
Heat the peaches over high heat, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds to prevent sticking. Bring to a full rolling boil, which takes 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to bubble around the edges, then slowly build. You know you’ve reached a full, rolling boil when entire surface is boiling rapidly with large, fiesty bubbles that do not stop when you stir. It may look a little foamy and the bubbles will be noisier.
Once you have your rolling boil, add the sugar in all at once, then stir to dissolve. Keep the pan over high heat and stir every 15 to 20 seconds to prevent burning. Keep heating and stirring until the mixture returns to a rolling boil (this usually takes 2 to 4 minutes more, but if you’re not there yet, just keep heating and stirring). Once you hit a rolling boil, set a timer for exactly 1 minute and stir the entire time. Remove from the heat and skim off the foam (when using pectin, you do not need the jam to hit 220°F the way you would if you were using only sugar). You can discard the foam or keep it for toast (yum!).
Spoon the jam into clean jars and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate. The jam will set within a few hours. Store it in the refrigerator (I find it can last a full year, though we never have it around that long). If you’d like to can the jam for room temperature storage, please refer to the USDA Canning Guidelines for techniques.