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This homemade peach jam recipe is a delicious and fresh-tasting spread that you’re going to love! It’s made with significantly less sugar compared to traditional jam recipes, allowing the amazing peach flavor to really shine.
This low-sugar homemade peach jam recipe is exactly how homemade jam should taste – not too sweet and bursting with the taste of summer. Just like our incredible canned peach halves.
As your elder millennial grandma, I have stuffed this post full of information, tips, tricks, and hacks I have learned over 20+ years of canning. I’m telling you EVERYTHING you need to know to be successful at making peach jam in your very own kitchen.
Whether you’re a novice canner or have been canning for years, this recipe is for you. I hope you love it as much as we do!
If, at the end of the day, you decide that canning jam just isn’t for you, check out our peach freezer jam recipe. It’s just stirring and freezing – easy peasy.
This recipe uses Pomona Pectin, which is my absolute favorite low-sugar pectin. Traditional jam recipes rely on A LOT of sugar to create that perfect jam texture, but Pomana will give you the same results with little to no sugar.
Each box of Pomona’s can make 3-4 batches of jam, so that little box of pectin will stretch a looooong way. And if you can’t find Pomona’s near you, snag a box of low-sugar pectin and follow the cooking instructions listed on the box.
And if you just aren’t interested in using/sourcing pectin, check out our old-fashioned peach preserves, which is a pectin-free recipe.
How to Use Pomona’s Universal Pectin
Each box of Pomona’s comes with two little packages; 1) calcium powder 2) and pectin.
You mix 1/2 tsp of calcium powder with 1/2 cup of water. You won’t use it all for this recipe, but it can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 months.
How to Make and Can Peach Jam
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Canning Prep
Prepare your water bath canner by filling it with water, and setting it on the stove. Turn the burner to high. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to simmer. You want to keep the water hot so that everything is ready when the jam is.
Wash and sanitize your jars. You’ll want to keep them warm to avoid having them crack when placed in the canner. You can fill them with hot water, or place them on a tray in the oven at 170˚F.
Wash your lids and set them aside in a clean place. You no longer need to simmer lids in water to keep them sterile. Woot!
Making Peach Jam
Wash your fruit. I just run them under water and rub my hands on them to give the outside a scrub. Use a paring knife and cut the peach around the middle to separate it. Remove the pit.
Add one layer of peaches at a time to a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds. Once you can see the skin starting to come away from the flesh, it’s time to take them out. Remove the peaches from the boiling water using a slotted spoon and place them in an ice bath for 1 minute.
Use the slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the ice bath. Grab one and gently peel the skin back; repeat. Chop the peaches into 1-inch pieces.
From here, the texture of the peach jam is entirely up to YOU! Most jams have some texture in the final product. If you wanted to make it completely smooth, you’d actually be making peach butter.
My preference is to use a potato masher or to chop (not blend) the peaches in a food processor to create a mixture of some peach puree with some remaining pieces of intact peach. But you do you, boo. Want it totally chunky? Go for it!
No matter what texture you end up with, you’re going to need a total of 4 cups of peach (let’s call it) mixture.
Place your 4 cups of peaches into a heavy-bottomed pot (I use my favorite enamel Dutch oven). Stirring often, heat the fruit over medium heat until the juices start to bubble.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp calcium powder (comes in the box of Pomona’s Pectin) with 1/2 cup cool water. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and low-sugar pectin. Set aside.
Add the lemon juice and calcium water to the pot with the peaches, stir. Add the sugar/pectin mixture, and bring to a rolling boil. Stir constantly for 3 minutes, turning down the burner to medium if the jam starts popping.
At this point, turn the burner under the canner back up to high and get that water boiling again. We’re getting closer to the canning part. Get excited nerds!
Remove the jam pot from heat, and stir gently for 3 more minutes. At the end of the 3 minutes, skim any foam that remains.
Using a funnel and a ladle, add the jam to your prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace at the top.
Using a wet clean rag, wipe the rims of the jars to make sure there isn’t any sticky jam on there.
Place a new clean lid on the jar and then a ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight.
Using canning tongs, add your jars to the boiling water, and put the canner lid on. Pro tip: you must have at least 1 inch of water over the tops of the jars for safe canning. Processing times will vary based on altitude. See the chart below.
Processing Time for Peach Jam
| Processing Time for Peach Jam | ||||
| Process Times at Altitudes of: | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0-1,000 ft | 1,001-3,000 ft | Aove 6,000 ft |
| Hot | Half-Pints & Pints | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min |
| *Source: National Center For Home Food Preservation | ||||
Once the jam has processed for the appropriate amount of time, remove the canner from the burner, and carefully remove the lid of the canner (Pro tip: use oven mitts to take the lid off because the steam is super hot).
After the 5-minute rest in the canner, use canning tongs to carefully remove the jars, and place them on a thick towel in a place where they can be undisturbed for 12 hours.
After the jars have rested for about 12 hours, press down in the middle of each lid. If it “gives” at all, the jar didn’t seal. Either enjoy it that day, put it in the fridge, or reprocess it using a brand new lid.
Once the jars have sealed and cooled, remove the rings. Label and store sealed jars in a cool (best results are 50-70˚F) dark place for up to 12-18 months.
Homemade Peach Jam (Low Sugar)
Ingredients
- 5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced {to yield 4 cups mashed}
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 1 tbsp low-sugar pectin {I use Pomona's}
- 2.5 tsp calcium water {from the pectin box}
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice {do not use fresh}
Instructions
Prep for the canning part
- Prepare water bath canner by filling it with water, and setting it on the stove. Turn the burner to high. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to simmer. You want to keep the water hot so that everything is ready when the jam is.
- Wash and sanitize your jars. You can fill them with hot water, or place them on a tray in the oven at 170˚F degrees.
- Wash your lids and set aside in clean place.
Making Peach Jam
- Fill a large mixing bowl with ice water. Set aside.
- Use a paring knife and cut the peach around the middle to separate. Remove the pit. Put the halves in a large bowl of water treated with lemon juice (~1/4 cup) or citric acid (1 tbsp).5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced, 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- Add one layer of peaches at a time to a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds.
- Remove using a slotted spoon and place in the ice water for 1 minute.
- Use the slotted spoon to remove the peach halves from the ice bath. Grab one of the peaches and gently peel the skin back.
- Roughly chop or pulse the peeled peaches in a food processor. Measure out 4 cups of the fruit mixture.
- Place chopped peaches in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Stirring often, heat the fruit over medium heat until the juices start to bubble.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp calcium powder (comes in the box of pectin) with 1/2 cup cool water.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar and low-sugar pectin. Set aside.1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp low-sugar pectin
- Add the lemon juice (1/4 cup) and calcium water (2.5 tsp) to the pot with the peaches, stir.1/4 cup bottled lemon juice, 2.5 tsp calcium water
- Add the sugar/pectin mixture, and bring to a rolling boil. Stir constantly for 3 minutes, turning down the burner to medium if the jam starts popping.
- At this point, turn the burner under the canner back up to high and get that water boiling again.
- Remove the jam pot from heat, and stir gently for 3 more minutes. At the end of the 3 minutes, skim any foam that remains.
- Using the funnel and a ladle, add the jam to your prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace at the top. Headspace is the amount of room between the top of the food, and the top rim of the jar.
- Using a wet clean rag, wipe the rims of the jars to make sure there isn't any sticky jam on there.
- Place a new clean lid on the jar and then a ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight.
- Using canning tongs, add jars to the boiling water, and put the canner lid on. Pro tip: you must have at least 1 inch of water over the tops of the jars for safe canning.
- Process half-pints and pints based on the elevation guide below:*0-1,000 ft – Half-Pints & Pints =5 min *1,001-6,000 ft – Half-Pints & Pints =10 min *6,000 ft+ – Half-Pints & Pints =15 min
- Once the jam has processed for the appropriate amount of time, remove the canner from the burner, and carefully remove the lid of the canner (Pro tip: use oven mitts to take the lid off because the steam is super hot).
- After the 5 minute rest in the canner, use canning tongs to carefully remove the jars, and place them on a thick towel in a place where they can be undisturbed for 12 hours.
- After the jars have rested for about 12 hours, press down in the middle of each lid. If it "gives" at all, the jar didn't seal. Either enjoy it that day, put it in the fridge, or reprocess it.
- Once the jars have sealed and cooled, remove the rings. Label and store sealed jars in a cool (best results are 50-70˚F) dark place for up to 12-18 months.
Notes
- Makes 4, 8 oz jars.
- Jam is best when made in small batches. Doubling can work, but avoid tripling the recipe.
- Will last open for 2-3 weeks in the fridge or 12-18 months sealed and at room temperature.
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This looks amazing. I have Sure Jell low sugar pectin. It does not uses calcium water. Will your recipe still work?
Thank you!
Hi Kerry, the calcium water is unique to Pomona’s. So you would want to follow the instructions on the Sure Jell box (or insert) to make sure you get the results designated for their pectin. You will likely still need a lot of sugar, even if they claim it is low sugar.
An alternative would be to make our peach preserves which uses zero pectin and only 2 cups of sugar.