Easy Peach Freezer Jam (Low Sugar!)

This homemade peach freezer jam tastes like biting into a fresh, juicy peach! Made with simple ingredients and less sugar, this easy peach jam recipe comes together in minutes. (No special equipment required!)

It’s summer peach season, which means we’re making peach everything around here! From Peach Lemonade and Raspberry Peach Crisp to muffins, oatmeal, and more, I want fresh summer peaches any way I can get them!

One of the best ways I know to capture that fresh peach flavor is homemade peach freezer jam. If you’ve been intimidated by homemade jam recipes in the past, don’t worry! Freezer jam is the EASIEST option by far.

• No specialty equipment required! No fussing with a hot water bath, pressure cooker, or canning set-up. You just need clean jars and lids.
• No special skills required! If you can stir, you can make this homemade peach jam.
• Major peach flavor! The minimal cooking maintains the integrity of the peach flavor, so the jam really does taste like a fresh peach!
• Tried & Tested. We made 8(!!!) test batches of jam to make sure we got it just right. Peach jam has a reputation for not setting up properly, but you won’t have that problem here!

It’s the perfect way to give yourself the gift of fresh peaches even in the middle of winter and once you try it, you’ll want to put it on everything.

Ready to make a batch? Here are the 5 simple ingredients you’ll need to get started…

Gather Your Ingredients

• Fresh Peaches. This is how you get so much peach flavor! Use ripe, juicy peaches for best results. Keep in mind that if you use sub-par peaches (flavorless, tart, or mealy), you’ll get sub par jam. (Small bruises are totally fine, so long as the flavor is good!) Yellow peaches are best for jam as white peaches aren’t acidic enough or pretty enough to work well. 
• Lemon Juice. Fresh lemon juice does double duty here, adding brightness and acidity, but also helping the peach jam to set properly. Peaches are lower in natural pectin than other fruits, like pears, berries, or apples, so they need a little extra help to set up properly!
• Sugar. Then, you’ll need some sugar. Regular granulated sugar or cane sugar works here. I do not recommend sugar substitutes in this recipe.
• Sure Jell Low Sugar Pectin. This kind of pectin is specifically formulated to work in lower sugar recipes. Do not substitute liquid pectin or regular pectin in this recipe, or your jam may not set properly.
• Water. Then, you’ll just need a little water to dissolve the pectin mixture!
• *Maybe* A Few Drops of Almond or Vanilla Extract. Just 2-3 drops of almond extract or vanilla extract can add a tiny hint of extra flavor. I like almond extract best!

How To Make Peach Freezer Jam, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep Your Station. Before you start, you’ll want to have everything clean and ready to go so you can work quickly. Thoroughly wash jars and lids, set out a funnel, a clean washcloth or paper towel, and all your ingredients before beginning.
2. Prep Peaches. Peel and finely dice or mash the peaches with a potato masher and measure carefully Use exactly 3 cups of mashed peaches with their juices.
3. Combine. Add lemon juice & almond extract to the peaches. Add peach mixture, sugar, and water to a large saucepan. Whisk to combine.
4. Boil. Bring peach mixture to a full rolling boil (bubbles all across the surface!) over medium-high heat and boil 2 minutes (use a timer for best results). 
5. Add Pectin. Add the pectin and whisk to combine, cooking another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and check that there are no lumps of pectin in your jam mixture.
6. Fill Jars. Pour or ladle jam into the clean jars, leaving 1/2 an inch of room at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. Wipe any jam off the rims or sides of the jars and secure with lids. 
7. Cool & Let Set 24 Hours. Let the jam cool 1 hour at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge and chill 24 hours to fully set. (If yours seems fully set after a few hours, you can transfer them to the freezer earlier!) 
8. Freeze. Transfer set jam to the freezer and store up to up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator a few hours in advance of serving, then store in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks. 

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Peach Freezer Jam

The Best Way To Peel Peaches. When I can, I just use a sharp paring knife! I run the knife around the peach to make an “X” shape around the pit, then I can usually easily separate the peach quarters and peel back the skin on peaches. Otherwise, you can use the blanching method to carefully lower peaches into boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer to an ice bath. The peach skins should peel right off!

How Long Does Peach Freezer Jam Last? The great thing about our easy peach freezer jam recipe is that it will stay fresh up to 1 year in the freezer, so you can pull out a jar of jam any time you like! Once you’ve thawed it, it will keep fresh up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. (Ours never lasts a whole year, since we’re so eager to enjoy it!)

Peach Jam Sets Soft. FYI, freezer jam is typically less firm than store-bought or canned jam, and peach freezer jam tends to set softer than other fruits like raspberry or strawberry because it has less natural pectin. We’ve worked really hard to make sure you can get a good set to this jam–balancing the amount of sugar, pectin, fresh fruit, and water to get a set but spreadable peach jam.

How to Fix Runny Jam. If your freezer peach jam didn’t set up properly, all isn’t lost! You’ll need another package of pectin, and you can follow the tips from Sure Jell. This will involve adding more sugar and part of another box of pectin to your jam to help it set up. Their directions walk you through it step-by-step! (That shouldn’t be an issue with this recipe, but just in case…)

More Yummy Jams & Spreads To Try

Low Sugar Raspberry Freezer Jam

Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

Easy Peach Freezer Jam (Low Sugar Recipe!)

5 from 4 votes

Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

This homemade peach freezer jam tastes like biting into a fresh, juicy peach! Made with simple ingredients and less sugar, this easy peach jam recipe comes together in minutes. (No special equipment required!)

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cooling & Chill Time: 24 hours hours

Total Time: 24 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 cups finely diced or mashed fresh peaches with their juice* (use YELLOW peaches!)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
• ⅔ cup water
• 1 package Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes* (1.75 oz/49 grams)
• Optional: 2-3 drops almond extract or vanilla extract

Instructions

• Prep Your Station. Before you start, you’ll want to have everything clean and ready to go so you can work quickly. Sanitize jars and lids, set out a funnel, a clean washcloth or paper towel, and all your ingredients before beginning.
• Prep Peaches. Peel and finely dice or mash the peaches and measure carefully Use exactly 3 cups of mashed peaches with their juices.
• Combine. Add lemon juice & almond extract to the peaches. Add peach mixture, sugar, and water to a large saucepan. Whisk to combine.
• Boil. Bring peach mixture to a rolling boil (bubbles all across the surface!) and boil 2 minutes (use a timer for best results). 
• Add Pectin. Add the pectin and whisk to combine, cooking another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and check that there are no lumps of pectin in your jam mixture.
• Fill Jars. Pour jam into the clean jars, leaving 1/2 an inch of room at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer. Wipe any jam off the rims or sides of the jars and secure with lids. 
• Cool & Let Set 24 Hours. Let the jam cool 1 hour at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge and chill 24 hours to fully set. (If yours seems fully set after a few hours, you can transfer them to the freezer earlier!) 
• Freeze. Transfer set jam to the freezer and store up to up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator a few hours in advance of serving, then store in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks. 

Notes

• Peaches. You *can* make this jam with frozen peaches. You’ll just need to thaw and prepare them first. I find that store-bought frozen peaches don’t have as fresh and sweet a flavor as peaches you freeze yourself, so I always recommend fresh peaches or home-frozen peaches for best results.
• Sugar. Do NOT attempt to reduce the sugar further, or your jam may not set up properly.
• Pectin. This recipe was specifically tested with Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes. (Pink box!) I haven’t tested with any other brands of pectin or liquid pectin and cannot guarantee results if you use another brand.
• Storage. This jam is NOT shelf stable and must be frozen or refrigerated after the 24 hour setting period. It will keep in the freezer up to 1 year and the fridge up to 3 weeks. You’ll know the jam isn’t fresh any more if it hisses when opened, has an off smell, the color changes, or it goes moldy. 

Video

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: Low Sugar Peach Jam, Peach Freezer Jam, Peach Jam

Find the recipe:

sweetsandthankyou.com/peach-freezer-jam/