Canning Vanilla Peach Jam Recipe (2024)

Canning Vanilla Peach Jam Recipe (1)

Peaches are a favorite summer fruit and preserving them for the off-season is a great way to enjoy them year-round.

Every summer we can lots of peach slices in 1 quart jars (1L) for those snowy winter months. I also make vanilla peach jam every summer and it’s delicious. Adding vanilla to peach jam just adds that extra wonderful aroma & taste.

If you’ve never canned before I highly recommend you read up on the basic safety of canning before diving in.

There are things like altitude and sanitizing jars that are important. You can read up on basic canning safetyon this site.

Recipe for Canning Vanilla Peach Jam

The vanilla flavor is better if you use real vanilla beans or real vanilla extract. I recommend that over the vanilla ‘flavor’ extract.

I often use something in the middle, single vanilla extract in bourbon. I definitely recommend you taste test (before adding the pectin) for your desired vanilla flavor.

This recipe makes 3x 1 Pint (500 ml) size jars or 6 1/2 pint (250ml) jars of jam. I often double or triple this recipe.

Print Recipe

Vanilla Peach Jam

Servings

Ingredients

  • 5 cups peeled, pitted & chopped peaches (about 3lbs)
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp zest & juice of 1 lemon
  • 2-3 tbsp vanilla bean pod scraped (taste test how much you want as there are different vanilla quality grades)
  • 1 packet liquid pectin (3-ounce/85ml)
Servings

Ingredients

  • 5 cups peeled, pitted & chopped peaches (about 3lbs)
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp zest & juice of 1 lemon
  • 2-3 tbsp vanilla bean pod scraped (taste test how much you want as there are different vanilla quality grades)
  • 1 packet liquid pectin (3-ounce/85ml)

Instructions

  1. Prepare water bath canner and get the jars & lids ready (be sure to know your basic canning safety). Need a water bath canner? We bought this set and it’s perfect for beginners!

  2. Combine the peaches & sugar in a large non-reactive pot. Cook on medium heat allowing peach juices to release. Slowly bring to a boil and add lemon juice and vanilla.

  3. Let the sauce cook over med-high heat for 15-20 mins stirring frequently until it looks syrupy. I use a hand blender at this stage to break up the peaches so it’s not chunky (be careful it can splatter & it’s hot)

  4. Add the pectin and bring to a strong boil for 5 mins or so until it’s thick and shiny. (be sure to read your pectin instructions as they differ in method).

  5. Remove the pot from the heat & ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids & rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 mins (be sure to know your basic canning safety and adjust the time with altitude).

Recipe Notes

  • How to Blanch Peaches & Prepare Peaches: boil water then gently add peaches into the pot with a slotted spoon. Boil for 2-3 mins and immediately place into a bowl of cold water. Using a knife make a small cut across the skin then put knife aside. Peel off the skin with your hands and discard into compost. If the peaches are still hot run them under cold water to do this. You will need to change the cold water bowl every few batches to keep is cold.
  • I make jam on the same day that I can peach slices and use the pulp around the core as the bulk of my jam pulp. It’s easy to squish the pulp off the core and it’s a nice small size for the jam. I also add some whole peaches so it’ s not just the core pulp.
  • If you wish to just have a peach sauce omit the pectin entirely. This is a cheaper option and it’s wonderful on crepes, baked into sweet breads or put over pancakes etc.

If you have freestone peaches they will come off the pit easily.

If you have clingstone or semi-free stone peaches then it’s harder to get off the pit. Not a problem if you’re canning jam, only if you’re doing slices.

I often make peach jam by using the pulp around the pit when I’m canning peach slices that aren’t freestone.

This is a great & frugal way to can peach slices you end up with lots of pulp left for jam.

Canning Vanilla Peach Jam Recipe (2)

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Canning Vanilla Peach Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it safe to can white peach jam? ›

Pour hot jam into jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water canner, following manufacturer's instructions. The recommended process time for peach jam in a boiling water canner is 5 minutes for half-pint or pint jars.

How long does homemade jam last without pectin? ›

It will last several weeks in the fridge, but can be frozen for up to three months. Obviously you can use the jam anywhere you like jam — on toast, in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or on fresh biscuits.

Do you need to add lemon juice when canning peaches? ›

To keep the fruit from turning brown, when you get a bowlful, sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh (which is just a mix of citric acid and vitamin C, perfectly natural). Then stir the peaches to make sure all the surfaces have been coated. I always use one of these, usually lemon juice.

How to thicken up jam without pectin? ›

Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then add it to the jam mixture. Bring it to a boil, and the jam should thicken almost immediately.

Why not use white peaches for canning? ›

With a pH of above 4.6, white peaches are a low-acid fruit, and neither water bath canning nor atmospheric steam canning is able to destroy the harmful bacteria that can grow in them. A pressure canning process is not available for white peaches to determine safety and quality issues.

Why can't white peaches be canned? ›

The natural pH of some white peaches can exceed 4.6, making them a low-acid food for canning purposes. Currently, there is no low-acid pressure process available for white-flesh peaches nor a researched acidification procedure for safe boiling water canning.

How to tell if canned jam is bad? ›

Regardless of the type of jam or jelly you have on hand, it's important to know the signs of spoilage. According to Lee, this may include yeasty off-odors, fermented alcohol-like flavors, and mold growth, which may appear as white fuzzy patches inside the jar or on the product itself.

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

While pectin is added to jam to speed up the thickening process, it is also essential to keep the fruit's bright and vibrant flavors and colors (which can dissipate over prolonged cooking times). For pectin to work as efficiently as possible, acidity can work wonders — which is where lemon juice comes in.

What happens if you don't use pectin in jam? ›

You don't have to, but proceed carefully. "If you are really anti-pectin, you can omit it, but you'll need to cook the jam longer. Doing so will remove most of the water content in order to get it to set up properly and in turn, will result in a smaller yield," adds Wynne.

Why do peaches turn brown after canning? ›

What Causes Peaches To Brown? Peach can be eaten after washing it. But if you are slicing and freezing peaches or canning them, it is nearly impossible to prevent them from turning brown. The browning process kicks because when you cut a peach, a group of enzymes called polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are activated.

What happens if you forget the lemon juice in canning? ›

If your recipe called for lemon juice and you forgot to put it in, your mixture will not be acid enough for safe canning. You have to open the jars and put the mixture into a sauce pan.

When to add lemon juice in jam making? ›

Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its earlier consistency, about another 5 minutes.

What happens if you add too much pectin to jam? ›

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

What to do if jam won't set? ›

Lemon juice contains both in abundance. The ratio we use when making jam is 1tbsp of lemon juice to every 1kg of fruit. woman&Home Food Writer, Keiron George, advises, “If you're having trouble with setting your jam, bring it to the boil again, adding the rind of a lemon for some extra pectin”.

Are white peaches good for canning? ›

You may be considering canning white peaches; however, this is one particular fruit that should not be canned using any type of canning method.

Are white or yellow peaches better for canning? ›

Only yellow fleshed peaches can be safely canned. White peaches are lower in acidity than yellow peaches. Currently there is not a tested procedure for canning white fleshed peaches; freeze them instead.

How can you tell if homemade jam is safe? ›

As long as the seal is sound, jams can be stored in a dark, room temperature place for 12 to 18 months. But that's just a “best by” guideline, clarifies Harris: “If the seal is good, there is no visible mold, and the jam looks, smells, and tastes fine it should be OK to eat much beyond that time frame,” she wrote.

Why did my jam turn white? ›

Usually that thin, white film is jelled foam. If your fruit was foamy in the sauce pan and you didn't skim the foam off, or if your mixture had a lot of air in it and you didn't do air releasing before putting the jam in the jars, the foam or tiny air bubbles rise to the top of the jar and form that white film.

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