This is the easiest peach freezer jam recipe! No cooking, just stirring! Peach jam in under 30 minutes. Peaches, sugar, instant pectin, and lemon juice. Makes 4 (8 oz.) jars.
This peach freezer jam is delicious spread on honey wheat bread or English muffin bread.
Watch our step by step video!
Fruit season here in Virginia continues on. First we went strawberry picking, and made loads of strawberry freezer jam and fresh strawberry pies.
Then we went blueberry picking and made our favorite blueberry lemon cobbler. Now it’s peach season. Local fruit farmers—go ahead and take all my money. There is simply no such thing as too much summer fruit!
Easy Peach Freezer Jam
If you’ve ever been intimidated by jam making you’ve come to the right place. This peach freezer jam recipe is about as easy as it comes. No cooking, no heating, just peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and instant freezer pectin. I love the fresh fruit taste that only freezer jam can make. Cooked jam just isn’t the same!
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COOKED JAM AND FREEZER JAM
Freezer jam must be stored in the freezer or refrigerator (once opened). It does not have a shelf life. The only downside is that you need freezer space if you make a giant batch.
Cooked jams taste delicious, but they do not taste like fresh fruit because they’ve gone through the canning process. They have a great shelf like. You can make a batch and have it last a couple of years on the shelf (unopened).
I’ve made both many times, and always go back to freezer jam. You can make a batch start to finish in about 30 minutes with only a few ingredients and supplies.
IS FREEZER JAM SUPPOSED TO BE RUNNY?
Freezer jam, by nature, has a much softer consistency than cooked jam. It also tastes like fresh fruit. It may not seem like your jam is setting up, but don’t worry, it will thicken as it chills in the refrigerator. Any bottles that come from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator will thicken as well.
WHAT PECTIN TO USE TO MAKE FREEZER JAM
I’ve used several different kinds of pectin products over the years and really like the RealFruit Instant Pectin by Ball. You simply mix it with sugar then add peaches. Most of the other kinds require you to heat with water over the stove. I’ve used the Ball Instant Pectin and the Ball Freezer Pectin. One has a green label and the other has a purple lable. They are the same product. They both say that they create delicious freezer jams in 30 minutes.
HOW MANY JARS WILL ONE BATCH OF FREEZER JAM MAKE?
You can make a single batch, double batch, or a triple batch it’s up to you. It is recommended to not make more than 6 jars at a time or you run the risk of the pectin not setting up right. One batch will make about 2 cups of jam, or 1 pint. The measurements that I’m sharing today are for a double recipe that yields 4 (8 oz.) jars or 4 cups of jam.
HOW TO PREPARE Peaches TO MAKE FREEZER JAM
Wash and dice peaches. You’ll need 3 1/3 cups of diced peaches to make this recipe. Place them in a blender and pulse until they are the consistency that you are looking for. I make sure not to puree them completely, always leaving some chunks.
WHAT JARS OR CONTAINERS TO USE TO MAKE FREEZER JAM
Plastic or glass? You can use either one! I always have jars on hand so I usually use those and a few plastic freezer jam containers. Whatever you choose, make sure they are okay to put in the freezer.
THE EASIEST Peach FREEZER JAM RECIPE
The EASIEST Peach Freezer Jam Recipe
Equipment
- blender
- freezer safe jars with lids
- bowl
- knife
- cutting board
- spoon
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cup peaches peeled and diced
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp. instant freezer pectin
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare Peaches
- Peel and dice peaches. Place peaches in blender and pulse a few times.
Mix Peaches with Sugar and Pectin
- Mix sugar and pectin together in a bowl. Pour peaches over sugar and pectin. Add lemon juice.
- Stir for 3-5 minutes. This may seem excessive, but is essential to make sure that the sugar is evenly distributed and reacting with the peach juice. You don't want gritty jam.
Freezing
- Pour into clean, sterile, containers. Add lids.
- Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes. Store in the freezer for up to a year, and in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks.
Can you use any fruit for this recipe?
Looks delicious!!
Hi Kris! The type of pectin that I use suggests using strawberries, peaches, pears, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or cherries. Hope that helps!
Hi Cathie! Sometimes it will thicken right away, but other times it thickens after being in the refrigerator for a day or so. Did you make it today?
I made the first batch a couple days ago. Today, I made another batch and it turned out good; just like it should be. Glad I tried it again.
You don’t mention peeling the peaches. Is it because you blender them? Looks delicious!
Hi Peggy! In the recipe at the bottom of the post it says to peel the peaches. I don’t think I mentioned it in the photos at the beginning of the post. You can do whatever you’d like, but I prefer peeling them for the jam. Hope that helps!
Can I use a artificial sweetener?
Hi Sherri! I have no experience doing that. This might be helpful: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/jam/sugar-free-strawberry-freezer-jam.html
Can you use canned peaches? I have arthritis in my hands and I can’t cut up the peaches. I was just wondering.
canCan I use regular Pectin? Thanks
If you use a different pectin than the one I listed just follow the directions on the box for best results 🙂
So good, so easy! (I did not purée the peaches, I mashed them because I wanted more chunks.)
Used 5 tbsp Ball Instant Pectin instead of 4 for firmer set. Note: Instant Pectin is used only for Freezer Jam & has 5 Tbsp per box, more than regular pectin. Freezer Jam can be made with granulated sugar or Splenda. I used 2/3 cup each for a lower sugar content & fresher fruit taste. Oversweet jams tastes cloying to us. I used frozen Mixed Fruit instead of peaches. Thaw over low heat, use an emmersion blender to chop & have it slightly warm when you pour it over the Pectin & sugars for best dissolving.
It is delicious!
Great tips!