Sweet as peaches. Peachy keen. Just peachy. <— For one little stone fruit, peaches truly have worked their way into our hearts and our sayings, haven’t they? (Seriously, try googling apricot – totally not the same.)
This peach freezer jam is one of my favorite ways to capture the flavor of juicy peaches at the peak of freshness and flavor, and it’s super easy to make.
That’s right, you won’t need any pectin or special canning equipment to create the sweet, sticky goodness that is this peach jam. It’s delicious slathered on homemade biscuits or brushed onto a whole roasted chicken as a glaze. There are so many other yummy ways to use it, though. (I’ll include more suggestions and recipe links later in this post.)
But first, you might be wondering . . . .
What is Freezer Jam?
Basically, it’s homemade jam that doesn’t require hot water bath canning like shelf-stable jam. It can be made pretty quickly from fresh fruit, a sweetener of some kind, and sometimes pectin, and is stored in the fridge or freezer.
If you’re like me and like to save money by buying in bulk at farmer’s markets, this is an easy way to use up extra fresh fruit that might otherwise go to waste. It makes a great hostess or housewarming gift, too!
Ways to Use Peach Freezer Jam
This peach freezer jam certainly isn’t an everyday food, but for an occasional treat, it’s amazing. Here are some ideas for serving it:
- Scoop it onto these easy jam thumbprint cookies
- Stir into yogurt or oatmeal
- Slather it on these biscuits instead of whipped cream and strawberries
- Serve with brie or other cheese and gluten-free crackers
- Spread it onto almond flour pancakes
- Drizzle it over ice cream
- Make it into a savory and sweet meat marinade
Easy Peach Freezer Jam Recipe (No Pectin)
Equipment
- Paring knife
- small saucepan
- tablespoon
- spatchula
- glass jar
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh peaches peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/3 cup honey (mild, light-colored honey works best)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- natural yellow food coloring (Optional – Some darker honeys can make the jam a little brownish, so if you want to you can brighten up with a few drops of food coloring)
Instructions
- Peel the peaches with a paring knife, then cut them into chunks. (Feel free to nibble on the skins while you work!)
- Place peaches in the food processor and pulse until they are the peaches are a little chunkier than the final consistency you prefer. The chunks will break down into slightly smaller pieces as the jam simmers. If you don't have a food processor, place the peaches in a large bowl and use a potato masher instead.
- Transfer the peaches to a small saucepan.
- Add the honey and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the jam is ready. When your mixture has been simmering for about 15 minutes, begin stirring more frequently. How to know the jam is ready: Look for "lag time" when you draw your spoon/spatula through the bottom of the pan. Before it's ready the space created by your spoon will fill quickly. As it thickens it will fill more slowly. Your jam is ready when it take a couple of seconds to refill after you draw your spoon through. Don't worry, it will thicken more as it cools.
- Remove the jam from heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Allow the jam to cool to room temperature, then scoop it into a jar and place it in the fridge. If you want to transfer it to the freezer, make sure to leave a little head space at the top and allow it to chill in the fridge first for a few hours before transferring.
- Store in the fridge for up to two weeks or the freezer for up to six months.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! They don’t tend to be as ripe as fresh peaches and therefore may need to be cooked a little longer to get a smooth consistency, but they will definitely work.
Using the method I described above – leaving a little head space at the top and chilling the jam in the fridge before transferring it to the freezer – I’ve never had a glass jar of jam break. However if you prefer plastic containers, they’ll work, too.
Want More? Easy Jam Recipes To Try
- Strawberry Freezer Jam – I called this recipe “Summer In a Jar,” because every bite is infused with ripe strawberries and sticky sweetness. If you’re curious about working with pectin you’ll find instructions for using it, but it’s totally optional and you don’t need it to make a delicious batch.
- Elderberry & Strawberry Jam – Do you make elderberry syrup? With a few quick additional steps, you can make a jar of syrup AND jam for just .000001% more effort.
- Blackberry Jam – This jam is so easy! You just need four simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands-on time to make it.
Have you ever tried making freezer jam? What’s your favorite flavor?
Those sound and look delicious! We are getting ready to start paleo next week (really need to do GAPS but the thought of it really overwhelms me for some reason) and I will have to give one of these a try.
You will love this recipe, Mellanie! It’s very similar to her raspberry hmantaschen filling, which I made an extra batch of and ate straight off the spoon over Christmas 🙂
Yes, the nice thing about this one is that it has half the honey of the other recipe! I like this one even better.
@Mellanie
If you can’t do anything else, add in the fermented veggies and broth. We’ve found that those two things help with healing, even when we can’t stick to the GAPS diet. That said, to get the full benefit you’ll want to go on the GAPS diet at some point but every little bit helps.
I am bookmarking this post for summer when fruit is plentiful and I am struggling to preserve it for the winter. Your posts consistently rock – thank you!
Oh wow! This is GREAT! BUT I really want the marmalade recipe. I have TONS of oranges, grapefruit and lemons coming off my trees and trying my hand at marmalade sounds like a project I need!
Ahhh, I wanted to put it in this post, but the instructions for it were just so dang long! I just posted it to my blog yesterday…http://urbanposer.blogspot.com/2012/01/cocoa-cherry-biscuits-w-meyer-lemon.html
Whilst I generally don’t have any sugar under my Paleo plan, I’m really keen to try this with the small amount of honey for a special occasion. It looks great!
Could we add in this recipe a bit of whey to decrease the effect on the sugar on the immune system ? If yes how much?
Thanks
Being that this is a ‘cooked jam’ I am not sure that adding whey would be of much use. However if you wanted to do a raw jam you could do the ‘Nourishing Traditions’ method. It will not result in a very thick jam, but tastes great. It will not work well with all fruits, but berries are great. This is a wonderful option for making jams, however in my family we can not have whey at this point. We opt for this as a special treat and take some probiotics.
1 large jar (this is the Nourishing Traditions recipe, and calls for mushing raspberries in a jar, adding sweetener, whey and water, then letting it sit at room temperature for 2 days before moving it to cold storage)
Gotta say, I’ve tried both and I like yours better! I think I’ll keep indulging and take my probiotics, too!
Awesome, can’t wait to try this as soon as I’ve managed to introduce fruit in the diet! Given that I live in South Africa I think the Peach & Rooibos flavor would be the logical place to start!
Ha! Yes, I think Roobibos would be the place to start!
we just made jam last night. i didnt think of using honey. will have to try that next time.
we just made jam last night. i didnt think of using honey. will have to try that next time.
Sweet. I happen to have all the ingredients for the peach/ rooibos one! Yay!! And just ran out of jam. Good timing!
Would adding a teaspoon of whey after the jam is cooled make it last longer?
I’m not sure, Wendy! Since it’s a freezer jam there shouldn’t be an issue with spoilage for quite awhile, but I doubt it will last that long in your house. It tends to get eaten pretty quickly!
Have you ever canned these jams?
No, I haven’t Joni! I’ve just stored them in the freezer 🙂
Would really like to can/process honey-based preserves as freezer space is like gold at our house (and used primarily for storing bulk meat/veg/fruit purchases). Any good recommendations for canning resources??
Sorry, Lo! I would love to learn to can down the road but it’s not a skill I’ve mastered yet.
Gonna have to try this! Looks DELISH!
So, we’re going on vacation next week and I’m going to make jams to bring with us. Peach is in order, however, since it’s fresh strawberry season where I live, I was wondering if you had tried the other (or any) honey sweetened, pectin free strawberry freezer jam? I might try just subbing fruits, but wasn’t sure if it would work or not.
Thanks!! 🙂
Update- YES!! Strawberries work, too!
I did everything the same and simply substituted 2 cups of strawberries that we had just picked, and omitted the tea (although I can think of several great options for infusing with strawberries). Anyway, it is SO delicious!! Thanks again!
This jam is fantastic and my kids are very excited about it as they have been on a strict regimen of completely sweetener free jam for several years now. This works fine for peaches etc but those little yellow plums make a jam to be remembered (and not in a good way). However, I digress, my real question is why is pectin bad? I have been using the Bernardin Pectin for Sugar free jam and am now terrified that it is horrible but I’m not willing to give it up without a reason.
Hi Cynthia, did you ever get an answer about pectin? Is it bad for you?? I’m doing Keto and had no sugar in more than a year and a half. Thinking about making jam using pectin, but…….
Hi Carla and Cynthia. I don’t think there is anything “bad” about pectin. It’s a product used to help jams and preserves to jell quickly, without a long period of cooking. You can even make your own pectin from apples. For me the problem I have with pectin is that recipes require nearly twice as much sugar as non-pectin recipes. The extra sugar is needed to help the pectin do its work. Since I prefer less sugar, I prefer recipes without pectin. I am willing to cook the ingredients longer, which concentrates the flavor and makes it all the more delicious. So you see, it’s all a matter of personal preference. There is nothing “bad” or “good” about either method. Everybody has their own favorite way of doing things… including making jam, which is a process meant to be enjoyed. If you have time and energy, maybe you could give both methods a try and see which one you like best.
Will this work for jelly? I have a family member who can’t have seeds so I make jelly.
Hi, as per ayurveda cooked honey is toxic to health. Though recipe sounds great and nourishing .
Can we use the sealing the jars/lids with boiling water method to make it last longer?
My little cousin is a fan of peaches so I thought of making him this recipe.
Thanks for putting this up!
I buy organic peaches and don’t peel them. This adds colour to the jam I make. But I’m not sure how it would work in your recipe, since I cook my jam for several hours. I don’t mix them, but cook quarters till they almost fall apart. Then I mix them.
I have apricot trees outside my house a fresh batch of home grown raspberries. Can I use them for this recipe instead of peaches?
Is the nutrition content accurate? 530kcal and 132g sugar seems a lot for 1 TBSP!
I’m not a huge fan of honey. How much sugar should I substitute in the Peach Freezer Jam recipe??
I am also curious about the nutritional information . 5 gms of protein??
Will maple syrup work instead of honey?
Have you made peach raspberry jam, with honey no pectin freezer jam