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 homemade peach 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)

Baked Peach Oatmeal

Spiced Peach Butter

Peach Crisp

Peaches and Cream Pie

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.