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An incredibly fresh-tasting jam, this Peach Freezer Jam is beyond simple to make. Just four ingredients and 20 minutes, and you’ll have a homemade low-sugar peach jam without canning.
Yeah, yeah, I have a lot of freezer jam recipes. This Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe is our family’s favorite, but we also love Blueberry Freezer Jam and No Cook Raspberry Freezer Jam.
And July and August bring wild blackberries to Seattle, and that means batches of Blackberry Freezer Jam.
And now? Peach freezer jam!
If you prefer shelf-stable jam, try your hand at Peach Preserves or Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam which are an actual canning recipe. It’s still incredibly easy but you’ll need some canning equipment (related: Canning Supplies Equipment List).
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAM AND FREEZER JAM?
In a nutshell, freezer jam involves zero cooking or actual canning skills. No canning supplies are needed. Based on the name, you’ll note it needs to be stored in the fridge or freezer; it is not shelf-stable and therefore it is perishable!
But more than being simple to make, freezer jam is incredibly fresh tasting and the colors are brighter and more vibrant because the mixture is not cooked and you need less sugar.
It also only takes about 15 minutes as opposed to hours. This is the lazy person’s jam. This jam is so easy that a kid could make it.
You don’t have to freeze the jam in order to use it. It’s actually ready to eat within about 30-60 minutes of making it.
Can You Make Jam Using Frozen Fruit?
The answer is a big “Yes”! You’ll need to drain at least half of the excess liquid that happens during the thawing process.
One of the benefits of using storebought frozen fruit is that it is picked at the peak of freshness which means it was frozen with as many nutrients as possible.
Ready to freeze them yourself? Check out this post on how to freeze peaches for all the tips and tricks. If you find yourself in the amazing position of having leftover peaches, try your hand at Canning Peaches using this step-by-step tutorial.
CAN I USE LESS SUGAR IN FREEZER JAM?
Yes, but my recipe already calls for significantly less sugar than the pectin company recommends. If you plan to lower the sugar even more, please note the consistency of the final product will be impacted.
CAN I USE ALTERNATE SWEETENERS IN FREEZER JAM?
Yes. If you want to replace the sugar with an alternative sweetener, you can. For Splenda you would want to use a 1:1 ratio, so 1 cup of sugar would be 1 cup of Splenda.
To replace the sugar with Stevia, you would use 1 tsp of powder or liquid concentrate to 1 cup of sugar. Please note, without the “bulk” of the sugar, your freezer jam is very likely to be much runnier if using Stevia. The consistency will be closer to Peach Syrup.
CAN I USE OTHER PECTINS TO MAKE FREEZER JAM?
Yes, but you’ll likely need to cook the pectin with sugar and some liquid prior to adding it to the fruit. You will also need to allow the jam to sit out at room temperature for 12 hours before it is considered ready.
Freezer jam pectin is designed for the recipe I am outlining below and takes all the guesswork out of the process.
The good news is the freezer jam pectin is pretty easy to track down. You can find the Mrs.Wages brand online, and Ball also sells some online or at most stores that carry canning supplies (feed stores, small independent hardware stores, Target, and Wal-Mart). I have used both brands and both work great.
Do You Need to Sterilize Jars For Freezer Jam?
Nope! They don’t need to be sterilized like the jars you might use for canning, but you do obviously want to use clean containers.
WHAT CONTAINERS TO USE FOR FREEZER JAM?
They do sell special plastic containers for freezer jam, but I also just use 8 oz glass jam jars that I already have. You could technically use any container that will survive the freezer. Use what you have on hand.
You can also check out my canning supplies list for the best resources for affordable canning jars.
If you don’t go through jam very quickly, try the 4 oz jars. They are perfect for this recipe and so many other little homemade snacks.
If you’re short on space for jars in the freezer, you could also use 1-cup Souper Cubes to freeze the jam and then remove the jam “blocks” once they have frozen and store in freezer bags.
How to Make Peach Freezer Jam:
*A detailed and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this post.
You need 3 1/2 cups of pureed peaches for this recipe. Depending on the size of your peaches, it may take 3-4 large peaches to yield 3 1/2 cups of puree.
Use a paring knife and cut the peach around the middle to separate. Remove the pit. If you have peaches that are a varietal of cling peaches (the peach won’t easily separate), you can cut them using the tutorial in this post on how to cut a peach.
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 using a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath for 1 minute.
Use the slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the ice bath. Grab one of the peaches and gently peel the skin back. For more details and step-by-step photos, check out our tutorial on How to Peel Peaches.
Use a food processor, or blender to chop the peaches. I find the best texture is a mix of mostly puree with some chunks of peach mixed in. It really comes down to your preference.
Pro tip: Use a knife, two forks, or a pastry cutter if you don’t have a food processor or blender.
In a mixing bowl, combine chopped/blended peaches, sugar, freezer jam pectin, and lemon juice. Mix with a large spoon for three minutes.
Pour into your preferred containers, put the lids on, and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then freeze!
Try a dollop of your homemade peach jam on these amazing Banana Bran Muffins from Hey Nutrition Lady.
How Long Does Freezer Jam Last?
Peach freezer jam is good for three weeks in the fridge or 9-12 months in the freezer.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes:
- Using high-quality ripe fruit will produce a quality jam. Using low-quality fruit will inevitably impact the jam’s flavor.
- If you are using frozen peaches, allow them to sit out at room temperature for a few hours to thaw.
- If you’re using glass jars, make sure you leave 1/2 inch of headspace when filling the jars. Headspace is the space between the top of the food and the top of the jar. You need to give the jam a bit of room to expand in the freezer.
- You’ll find freezer jam a bit runnier than a traditional jam. The fresh, bright flavor will win you over and you’ll likely find “normal” jam sickeningly sweet after enjoying your own homemade jam.
Peach Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups peaches, peeled and pitted {chopped or mostly pureed}{~3-4 large ripe peaches}
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup freezer pectin
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Use a food processor, or blender to chop the peaches. I find the best texture is a mix of mostly puree with some chunks of peach mixed in.
- In a mixing bowl, combine peaches, sugar, freezer jam pectin, and lemon juice. Mix with a large spoon for three minutes.3 1/2 cups peaches, peeled and pitted, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup freezer pectin, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pour into your preferred containers, put the lids on, and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then freeze!
Notes
- You need 3 1/2 cups of pureed peaches for this recipe. Depending on the size of your peaches, it may take 3-4 large peaches to yield 3 1/2 cups of puree.
- You don’t have to freeze the jam in order to use it. It’s actually ready to eat within about an hour of making it.
- It’s good for three weeks in the fridge or 9-12 months in the freezer.
- You can use frozen strawberries. You’ll need to drain at least half of the excess liquid that happens during the thawing process.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My father in law LOVES jam, jelly, preserves, all the fruit stuff. He’s almost 80 and talks a lot about his Mama’s jams and preserves. I used to buy him all the expensive jams but I decided to try your strawberry freezer jam recipe to see how he liked it. Strawberries are cheap right now so what did I have to lose? Well, I made it. He tried it on some toasted white bread and said it reminded him of his childhood. He said its not too sweet and you can really taste the Strawberries. He asked me where I got the recipe. I told him from your blog. He didn’t know what a blog was. So I spent 30 minutes trying to explain it. 🤦♀️ He didn’t understand that you and I don’t know each other but I was using your recipe. Anyway, I’m off to find some ripe peaches at the farmer’s market so I can make him some peach jam. And try explain this whole blog business again to an 80 year old. Your recipes are wonderful. I’m pretty sure you were an old farm wife named Mildred in your past life. 😂
This August will be my 12th year of blogging. This, hands down is the best comment I have received in those 12 years.
I’m so glad that (while confusing), my blog helped your FIL with some food-based memories.
I used regular pectin by mistake instead of freezer pectin will it be ok to eat?
It will be safe to eat, but probably not taste all that great. Regular pectin requires heat and a lot of sugar to “activate” the pectin.
Give it a try, because you never know, you might enjoy it!
Why is my liquid settling to the bottom of the jars for peach freezer jam?
It is hard to say without being there in your kitchen. A few guesses: 1) you processed the peaches to liquid instead of leaving some chunks. 2) the peaches you used were REALLY juicy. 3) you used frozen peaches and didn’t discard the liquid that defrosted. 4) the jam hasn’t rested for the full amount of time yet.
If none of those things were the case (or even if they were), feel free to email me directly and we can troubleshoot.
I did notice that when i opened the jar after the refrigerator thaw that the jam turned darker in color. Hopeful the new batch with Freezer pectin will not do that. DO you know why it would get darker? Maybe because i used the wrong pectin in that batch??
Most jams will darken a bit as they sit. If the color change was super noticeable, my best guess is that the pectin needed to be cooked to “preserve” the integrity of the color.
Do you have to freeze … or could I put one jar in the fridge to start eating the next day?
It’s ready to go right away. 🙂
Am going to try this with fresh and some frozen peaches from last year. What about rhubarb low sugar freezer jam? Do you have a recipe for that, with or without other fruits? Can I use some of my frozen rhubarb in it like you said here with peaches?
I have strawberry rhubarb freezer jam on my list for next year but wasn’t able to tackle it this year. Without making it, my assumption is you’d have to heat the rhubarb before making the jam since rhubarb usually needs to break down to be appetizing.
I do have a strawberry rhubarb jam that is low sugar but meant for a canner. I suppose you could follow the instructions and then just freeze it without canning. You can find that recipe here: https://www.sustainablecooks.com/strawberry-rhubarb-jam/
Recipe notes that an “old” version called for 1/4 cup freezer pectin and that it produced a thinner product. The author failed, however, to revise the amount of pectin needed in the “improved” recipe. It still calls for 1/4 cup.
Thanks for catching that! It’s been updated now.
It still says 1/4 cup of pectin in the recipe instructions #6.
The jam is absolutely delicious but, even with 1/3 cup of pectin, I find it runny.
Thanks, D, I’ll update that.
Did you buy the pectin this year? I have seen reports in canning groups (where the cool people hang out), and have experienced it myself that some freezer jam pectin that came out this year is just not setting up the same. Like I said, I experienced it myself with a batch of strawberry freezer jam; using my own recipe that I’ve been making with no issue for 10+ years.
If you want to email me at sarah@www.sustainablecooks.com, we can talk pectin issues about what you might have purchased.