Super Easy Peach Freezer Jam
With minimal hands-on time and a few simple ingredients, this Easy Peach Freezer Jam will be a delicious taste of summer all year long! We've got all your questions covered for this no-fail recipe!
Servings: 104 tablespoon servings
Calories: 36kcal
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups granulated white sugar
- 4 large or 5 medium-size ripe peaches see exact measurement for peaches below in step 3
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 ½ ounces (98g) of powdered pectin (I use 2 boxes of SureJell which is readily available at most larger supermarkets. Each box is 1.75 ounces or 49g.)
- 1½ cups water
Instructions
- Wash and rinse glass jars (or plastic containers) and lids in the dishwasher or with hot soapy water. Dry thoroughly.
- Cut the peaches in half from top to bottom. Remove the pit, then slice each half into ¼-inch slices. Dice the slices into ¼-inch pieces or smaller. (I like to use my chopper for this. See post above.)4 large or 5 medium-size ripe peaches
- Measure exactly 3 cups of the diced peaches into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the sugar and stir well for 1 minute. 4 ½ cups granulated white sugar
- Place the bowl in the microwave on high power for 3 minutes. (Mixture will not cook, but will become hot enough for the sugar to dissolve). Remove from the microwave and stir well for another minute.
- Allow this peach/sugar mixture to sit for 1 hour, giving it a good stir after about 30 minutes.
- Take a taste to make sure the sugar is dissolved. If it still has a bit of a grainy texture, give it another 3-minute stint in the microwave, then stir until the sugar is well dissolved. (When the sugar is well-dissolved, the mixture will actually deepen in color and lose its "cloudiness". That's when you're ready for the next step.)
- Mix the 1½ cups of water and pectin in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 minute, adjusting the heat so the mixture doesn't boil over. Add the lemon juice and stir well. Then, add the pectin mixture to the peaches and stir for 3 minutes (no cheating!). 1½ cups water, 3 ½ ounces (98g) of powdered pectin (I use 2 boxes of SureJell which is readily available at most larger supermarkets. Each box is 1.75 ounces or 49g.) 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Fill all the jars to within ½-inch of the tops. Wipe off the top edges of the containers and cover with the lids. Let the jam stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until nicely set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. (If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using.)
Video
Notes
Café Tips for making this Easy Peach Freezer Jam
- Look for peaches that are nicely ripe but not overripe for this jam. They should not be green, should give slightly when gently squeezed and should have a nice peachy aroma. Bruised or brown peaches are not good for making jam. A good rule of thumb is to taste the peach. A peach that's delicious to eat will be great for making jam.
- I find that east coast peaches are sweeter and have a better texture than California peaches. It may be that they're picked too early in order to make it across the country but they just don't have the same kind of flavor as east coast peaches.
- Makes about 6½ cups of jam.
- Although there’s very little hands-on time when making this Easy Peach Freezer Jam, make it on a day when you’re going to be around the house. You’ll need to give it a good stir every now and then to help dissolve the sugar.
- One way to know when the jam has been stirred enough and is ready for the pectin is that the color will become deeper orange. If your peach/sugar mixture still looks a bit cloudy, you probably need to stir it more or give it one more 3-minute stint in the microwave.
- SureJell is a powdered fruit pectin that helps thicken the jam. SureJell can usually be found in the same section of the grocery store as canning jars and storage containers. If you can’t find it, just ask at the front desk and someone can direct you to the right section of the store.
- Check the label on the SureJell before buying to make sure it’s not expired. It can lose its thickening properties if it’s old.
- I use two packages of SureJell powdered pectin for this recipe which is 3.5 ounces or 98 grams (total for the two packages). You can use other brands or bulk powdered pectin. (I have found that Ball pectin tends to create a firmer set.)
- Don’t skip the lemon juice. Lemon juice has lots of natural pectin which helps in combination with the SureJell to thicken the jam.
- Some people are concerned about freezing jam in glass jars. I’ve been doing this for over 40 years and have never had a jar break. You do want to make sure, however, that you leave about a half-inch of space at the top of each jar to allow for expansion when the jam freezes.
- You can also use plastic storage containers if desired.
- This jam is fine at room temperature for a few hours but store it in the refrigerator or freezer when not being used.
- If gifting this Peach Freezer Jam let the recipient know that this jam should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer when not being used.
- The jam won’t set completely right away, hence the instructions to allow it to sit on the counter for 24 hours. Plus, I love the look of beautiful, vibrant-colored orange jam stacked up on my kitchen counter - call me old-fashioned, but there’s something about it that makes me smile!
- I found the fun jars that are pictured in this post on Amazon. I love that they come with two different lids, a cork-lid as well as a plastic-storage- lid. They also come with kraft paper labels and a packet of twine, for tying labels to the jars.
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg