Peach Freezer Jam (No Canning Involved)
It’s never been simpler to make jam, thanks to this easy peach freezer jam recipe. The best part is, there’s no canning involved and it delivers only the freshest fruit flavors.
My mother made the most delicious freezer jam when we were little. It was a tradition at our house that everyone had to have freezer jam whenever she made her homemade sourdough bread. Sometimes we’d toast the bread and sometimes we’d just slather it on while it was still warm from the oven. A good, thick slathering as deep as you could manage without it spilling over the sides of the bread!
I really enjoy canning jams and fruit butters, but they just don’t compare in taste to the freshness you get from making freezer jam. If you’re wondering what freezer jam is, it’s a method of making jam that doesn’t involve cooking the fruit. As a result, it is about as close as you can get to the fresh taste of just-picked peaches, strawberries, or whatever other fruit you happen to be graced with.
With no cooking involved, four ingredients, and the simplest canning process imaginable, this is also the easiest jam to make. All you have to do is wash your jars, fill them, let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then place them in the freezer. That’s it! Keep a jar in your fridge to use and just grab another one out of the freezer when you need more. Have I convinced you to give it a go?
For instructions on traditional canning to use with other jam and preserve recipes, see my canning post (I clearly had a lot of fun with the video on that post).
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar
- Ripe peaches
- Sure-Jell fruit pectin (or your preferred fruit pectin used for making jams and jellies).
- Lemon juice (either from an actual lemon or a lemon juice bottle).
Peel and slice up your peaches.
Having a really sharp paring knife around the kitchen is essential. If you’ve had problems peeling fruits or veggies in the past, it was more likely your knife rather than your own lack of skill! I have five or six really good paring knives and I just couldn’t live without those things!
Here are my peaches, all cut up.
Now we’re going to take those diced peaches and moosh them up really good with a potato masher.
It is amazing how many uses this thing has! If you don’t have one, you can use a fork and it will just take a bit longer.
Jam Tip
This procedure is the same for strawberry freezer jam and most others. I’ve only made strawberry and peach but the package has instructions for many other kinds as well (apricot, blueberry, cherry, mango, raspberry, etc). Some types of fruit will need more sugar but the exact amounts are listed on a chart inside the package.
Measure out your sugar into a large bowl.
And then measure out three cups of fruit.
There might be some left that you don’t use. You’re just gonna have to eat that. I know, it’s a tough job.
Add lemon juice.
Stir up this peach mixture well and let it sit for about 10 minutes so the sugar can dissolve.
Meanwhile, place water in a saucepan (exact amounts below) and pour in the Sure-Jell.
Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil for one minute.
Pour into fruit and stir that up well.
The easy canning process
Set up your station of clean sterilized jars, a cup to pour the jam in with, lids, and a wet paper towel or dishcloth.
I LOVE my canning funnel but you don’t have to use one. You can just pour and wipe off the excess, but the funnel costs a dollar or two and is well worth the investment if you can find one.
If you are planning on canning this season, I strongly suggest getting all of your supplies now because they become more and more difficult to find as the summer wears on.
Pour your fruit into the canning jars, leaving one inch of space between the fruit and the top.
This is known as “headspace”.
Repeat until you get all of your jam in jars.
Note: nine times out of 10, a recipe will tell you it makes a certain amount of jars and it will always be more. This recipe said it would make six jars and I have eight. So be prepared with extra jars for convenience’s sake.
Wipe around the top and side threads of each jar with a wet paper towel.
This is to remove any sticky fruit that may have spilled onto it and ensure your jar seals properly.
If you skip this step, it will always tell on you because people will need a vice-like grip to get the jar open later. I’ve had this happen the first time I canned and it was very embarrassing knowing that I had ignored my Grandmother’s wisdom on this.
Place a lid on each jar and then seal it with a ring (the part that screws on).
Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
After that time has passed you can put some in the fridge to begin using immediately and store the rest in the freezer.
You will now be rewarded for your efforts with the FRESHEST tasting peach jam you’ve ever had in your life!
Storage
- Peach freezer jam can’t be stored at room temperature. Instead, store your open can of jam in the fridge for up to six weeks. Your remaining jars will last in the freezer for up to one year.
Recipe Notes
- I am using the instructions on my package of Sure-Jell for this tutorial. Your fruit pectin will have instructions inside so if you get a different brand you might want to double-check and make sure they match up with mine. Or just make it easy on yourself and grab this yellow box.
- While you may want to cut back on the sugar, I strongly discourage this.
Recipe FAQs
What’s the best peach to use in peach freezer jam?
Any freestone peach variety will work perfectly in this recipe. You can also opt to use frozen peaches rather than fresh peaches. Just make sure you thaw the peaches to room temperature and don’t drain the excess juice! Pop that in your jam as well.
What container do I use to store my freezer jam?
You can store your peach freezer jam in either glass mason jars or any freezer-friendly plastic container.
Why is my freezer jam runny?
Your homemade jam might be runny if your peaches are extra juicy. If this is the case, you can make up another Sure-Jell batch and add half to the mixture at a time.
Why is my peach freezer jam cloudy?
Your peach jam might be cloudy if it hasn’t been adequately stirred or your peaches were under-ripe.
What do I serve with peach freezer jam?
Spread your delicious jam on freshly baked bread, cornbread, apple cinnamon bread, or buttermilk biscuits. Alternatively, spread it over cream cheese on crackers or enjoy a scoop with some vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Here are more recipes to make with your peaches:
Easy Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler Recipe
Lela’s Fried Peach Pies (The Ole Fashioned Way)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs peaches enough to make 3 cups of mashed peaches
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 box Sure-Jell can use another brand, but check their instructions
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Peel and slice peaches, then mash them up with a potato masher or fork. They will be lumpy but that is okay.2 lbs peaches
- Measure out the sugar in a large bowl. Measure 3 cups of peaches and add to the sugar. Add lemon juice. Stir well and set aside so sugar can dissolve.4 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- In a saucepot, place 3/4 cup of water. Add fruit pectin (Sure-Jell). Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, then pour it into the fruit mixture. Stir well until all sugar is dissolved.1 box Sure-Jell
- Pour into clean 8 ounce jars (or plastic containers of choice) and leave 1-inch of headspace (instructions on the package say leave 1/2 an inch, but most recipes say leave one so I go with tradition here). Using a damp paper towel, wipe around the rim and sides of the jar to remove any residue. Place lids on jars and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- After that time, place in the freezer until ready to use. Store opened jars you are using in the fridge.
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchill. To submit your quote (or read others that will encourage you) click here.
Looks good to me. I think I might have to try this some time. I’ve always wanted to try canning or jarring. I’ve always seen the methods where u had to boil and all that jazz and I didn’t want to go through all that touble. Your method looks soooooooooo much easier! Thanks for all ur easy and cheap tips Christy! YOu have no idea how much of a blessing you are to us younge wifes and mothers! ^_^ Love ya <3!
Vickie
Christy, I LOVE your site. The stories, the recipes, the whole thing.
When making freezer jam do you take the rings off the lids before you put them in the freezer?
Hey Cherry!! thank you so much. I LOVE you reading my site!!!
I don’t take the rings off. You are absolutely right though, anytime you can something you can take the rings off because the lids are sealed on. With freezer jam though, you aren’t actually heating the lids and jars so they may seal but it’s kind of a toss up. I just leave my rings on.
Now you can also use plastic jars or containers if you like. Glass jars are just most convenient for me.
I hope this helps!! Thank you, Cherry! (LOVE your name)
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Thanks so much for the info on freezing jam.. And by the way, yes, Cherry is my real legal name..Just like the fruit..And pity the poor soul that says Sherry..Does anyone see an S in my name?? LOL…I get that all the time. So nice to see someone say it right..Keep up the wonderful work. I’ve hooked several of my friends here in north GA on your site..
Cherry
Cherry – I feel ya on the Sherry thing -My name is CHeryl and everyone has this ting of saying it (the lazy way) SHERYL — well as my mom always said to people when she introduced me and they would question my name — CH-you wouldn’t say I want a piece of Sherry Pie or I sat in that Shair over there. It is Cherry Pie and Chair . I give up a long time ago though –I just answer to anything close – although I still say CHeryl -and people who pay attention (especially on the phone) think I say Carol or Gerald(still don’t get this one).I do correct those!
Thank you! I have made strawberry freezer jam but never peach! Will be trying it this week!
Bountiful blessings!
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh how I love strawberry freezer jam!
I ate all of my strawberries this year though!
~looks guilty and then cracks a giggle~ I enjoyed that, too!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Christy,
I’ve found that most jelly/jam/preserve recipes are too sweet for our tastes. Could we adjust the sugar – say like go down to 3 or 3.5 cups – and still come out with a safe product? Thnks!
Hey Jan! I am so with ya on the sweetness thing!
Actually, there is a fruit pectin (a few as a matter of fact) on the market that requires little or no sugar. I made some peach jam last night with it. In place of the water, you boil your pectin in some apple juice and then you can add splenda or sugar to taste or leave it entirely unsweetened if you like.
If you use less sugar with regular pectin, the product will not set up properly but if you get the sugar free or low sugar pectin it will work out just fine and enable you to tailor it to your own family’s taste. These products are really easy to find nowadays and they will be right next to the regular pectin :).
I bet you’d really enjoy them, I sure have!
Gratefully,
Christy
Looks REALLY good. Got some tasteless unripe peaches at the local Walmart last week but the plums were great. I looked at some webpages for getting peaches to ripen off the tree but what would you suggest?
Bill, if no one else has told you, put the peaches or other fruit in a brown paper sack for several days. I always do this as I try to buy hard and/or part green. This way they arent ripe all at same time. Anyway, check after three days and then continue to check them daily. They should all ripen a6 same time.
Sue
~looks to Bill as she listens to Su and nods~ Yeah Bill,what she said :P.
You know what was funny? A magazine from a noted farm supply company just published a suggestion that you cover EVERY SINGLE peach on your tree with a quart sized zipper bag in order to keep pests off of them.
My mother and I got a big kick out of that. Her tree has produced hundreds of peaches so far this year and we were just imagining us trying to cover each one with a bag! Yeah, kinda off topic but isn’t that my trademark? ~grins~
Gratefully,
Christy
Christy, I think you just got “Sue” and “Su” mixed up. lol 😉
But Sue’s suggestion is spot on, the brown paper bag works.
Oops!
I sure did! Lol
sorry, me and that whole “sleep” thing haven’t been getting along lately 🙂
🙂
~Christy, who woke up at 4:30 am to check her email….
We used to pick peaches at a local orchard and the owner said to never pick a peach with ANY green on it and they will ripen perfectly. I never buy a peach with green and they always ripen. I am grateful to have been told!
Ok, I am going to have to make this freezer jam. But I would simply love your mothers recipe for home made sourdough bread to put it on. Love your stories as much as the recipes.
Yes Ma’am, I’ll get on that one. I have needed to have it up here for a while now. It may be in the cookbook, too. I’ll check on it!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
So, say I have a PLUM tree in my backyard… and am overrun with yellow plums… same instructions? 🙂
Sure is,but for plums you also need to add a bit more sugar or 1 cup of light corn syrup 🙂 .
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/mcp-plum-freezer-jam-62477.aspx
This is the link to the recipe for plums on Kraft’s website. Kraft makes Sure-Jell. I’ve gotten to meet several folks who represent Kraft and it is a very family oriented company from what I’ve seen 🙂
Gratefully,
Christy
Thank you Christy!
You are most welcome, Thank YOU Kim!
i recently made over 90 pints of preach freezer jam from my orchard down in texas. the problem im having is the jam will not set. im using good pectin tried three diff. brands. i let them set at room temp for 36 hours and still wont set. all instructions were followed to the T. please help
Freezer jam doesn’t set like regular jam, which is why you need to freeze or refrigerate it, this helps complete the process. The instructions in your package of freezer jam pectin should have said to leave it out for 24 hours and then immediately freeze or refrigerate after that. Don’t look for it to set like regular jam. It’s just going to be a little different (runnier) but will taste way fresher!