Peach freezer jam is a sweet jam that's made in just a few minutes on the stove top - no pectin required! This recipe makes two 8-ounce cans and can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.
Freezer jam is a fantastic way to capture that fresh, in-season flavor of your favorite fruits. I love making strawberry jam, pineapple jam, and raspberry jam to fill my freezer.
You'll love this recipe because you only need four ingredients, most of which are probably in your kitchen already. We're using cornstarch to thicken our jam today instead of making a special trip to the store for pectin.
Serve this peach freezer jam over toast for a quick breakfast, add a spoonful to your yogurt, or add to your morning pancakes. Peach jam can also be added to savory meals - try it on your next grilled cheese or use as a glaze for pork chops.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Peaches - For this recipe, you can use fresh peaches or frozen peaches that have been thawed. You'll want to remove the stems, skins, pits, and then dice your peaches.
- Cornstarch - Needed to thicken your jam. I use cornstarch because I always keep it on hand and I don't need to run to the store just to buy pectin.
- Lemon juice - Helps cut the sweetness of your jam and adds a bright, fresh element. It also helps prevent the growth of bacteria and discoloration. Lastly, it helps thicken the jam by lowering the pH, which reacts with the natural pectin in peaches.
- Sugar - I use granulated sugar for this recipe. In a pinch, brown sugar will work and will give your jam a more caramelized flavor and darker color. Sugar not only sweetens your jam but helps thicken it.
Tips and tricks
Stir until dissolved - Gently stir the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved and peaches begin releasing their juices.
Jam look dry? - If your peaches aren't in-season, you may want to add a splash of water and turn the heat down slightly.
Jam not thickening? - Very juicy, in-season peaches may require extra cornstarch. Make a slurry of additional cornstarch with a bit of water and add slowly while stirring constantly until incorporated. Continue cooking until your jam has thickened slightly.
Cook until glossy - Your jam will look bubbly and frothy at the start, but eventually will look glossy and thick. This is one sign that your jam is done.
Do a spoon test - Does your jam also thickly coat the back of a spoon? It's done and can be removed from the heat.
Storage
Peach freezer jam will keep for 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator or about a year in the freezer. Keep your jar tightly sealed at all times to maximize freshness.
To thaw freezer jam, transfer the jar from the freezer to the refrigerator the night beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe makes two 8-ounce jars of jam. I like to use 8-ounce ball mason jars to store my jam. This recipe is very easy to double, triple, or more - so stock your freezer with as much jam as you'd like. Freezer jam will last about 3 weeks (or longer!) in the refrigerator, or about a year in the freezer.
No, there is no need to sterilize your jars for freezer jam. Sterilizing is done in canning to remove bacteria, yeast, or fungi before filling jars with cooked fruits or vegetables. Canned foods are meant to be stored at room temperature for long periods of time. Those jars need to be free of bacteria so that your food doesn't spoil. Since freezer jam is stored in the refrigerator or freezer at all times, there is no need to sterilize your jars beforehand. It's just like storing any other foods in your refrigerator or freezer. A regular, clean jar is sufficient.
No, freezer jam must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer at all times. This jam recipe is not shelf stable. This recipe is not a replacement for a traditional canning recipe for shelf stable jams.
If you'd like to make a lower sugar jam, add half the amount of sugar. Keep in mind the peach flavor will be more pronounced and less sweet. Do a taste test before transferring your jam into jars.
While I haven't tested it myself, readers have had success using alternative sweeteners with this recipe. If you'd like to make sugar-free jam, replace the sugar with your favorite sugar-free sweetener. Consult your sweetener's package directions, as some alternative sweeteners are more concentrated and should not be swapped at a 1:1 ratio. Sugar also acts as a preservative, so your low-sugar or no-sugar jam will not last quite as long when refrigerated.
Freezer jam is cooked quickly on the stovetop and stored in jars in the refrigerator or freezer. Regular jam is canned. Canning involves boiling the jars to preserve and seal them, making them shelf stable. Freezer jam takes less effort but requires refrigeration or freezing to preserve it.
Troubleshooting
The cornstarch listed in the recipe thickens the jam while it cooks. The amount of cornstarch needed depends entirely on the juiciness of your peaches. Extra juicy, in-season peaches can release a lot of juices as they cook, which requires more cornstarch to thicken. Out of season grocery store peaches can be a bit on the dry side in comparison and may require less cornstarch. If your jam isn't thickening, add a slurry of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon at a time, and continue cooking.
If you're using out of season peaches, maybe purchased at a local grocery store, they're likely to be less juicy than in-season peaches from a local farmer. If this is the case, you may not need any cornstarch at all. I recommend adding a splash of water in step 1 of the recipe if your peaches aren't very juicy. I've made many batches of this freezer jam and the amount of cornstarch varies each time. Keep an eye on your jam. If it looks thick and dry, add a splash of water and remove it from the heat once your peaches have softened.
Ingredients like fresh fruits can be inconsistent. Some peaches can be very juicy and sweet, while others can be a little dry in comparison. I've made batches of jam with store-bought peaches as well as locally farmed in-season peaches and the difference is vast. The key is to watch your jam as it cooks. If it looks dry, add a splash of water and turn the heat down. If it looks very wet and juicy, add more cornstarch.
I recommend cooking your jam on the stovetop until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools. If your finished jam is still thin, pour it back into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. Make a slurry of a teaspoon of cornstarch and a splash of water and mix into your jam. Cook until the jam thickens, adding more cornstarch as needed.
Larger quantities of jam can take longer to thicken and cook down on the stove top simply because you've got more ingredients in the pot. Give it more time and add more cornstarch as needed to help the jam thicken.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Peach Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 g) chopped peaches
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add chopped peaches, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir to combine (if needed, add a splash of water to get the right consistency). Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and gently mash peaches with a potato masher until desired consistency is achieved. Return to heat and cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until mixture has reduced slightly. The mixture should thickly coat the back of a spoon (and will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Remove from heat and transfer to jars, leaving about ½" of space at the top of each jar (jam expands slightly when frozen). Allow to cool completely before adding lids. Store for up to 1 year in freezer, or 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Conversion: 16 ounces diced peaches = about 4 medium peaches with stems, pits, and skins removed.
- Storage: Freezer jam is not shelf stable and needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer at all times. Jam will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks in a tightly sealed jar, or in the freezer for up to a year.
- Sugar substitutions: Sugar can be substituted with a sweetener alternative, but please consult your sweetener package for proper ratios (some are more concentrated than others).
- Be safe: If using a sugar substitute, keep in mind that regular sugar preserves the jam, so sugar-free jam will not keep as long in the refrigerator.
Do I let jars cool on counter then put on lids or let them cool down in fridge and then put on lids
Hi Kitty, the jars can be cooled on the countertop, then lids added before refrigerating or freezing.
This was by far the easiest small batch recipe 🙂 and oh so good. I did however, add 1/4 t. each of cinnamon and cloves for spices. Easy, quick, and not so overwhelming. I used a food processor instead of a potato masher. Great recipe!
Do you need to seal the lids of ball jars before freezing by putting then in boiling water?
No, regular canning methods are not required to make freezer jam since it is always stored in the refrigerator or freezer.