Recipe: Homemade Peach Jam

I've really been wanting to can this summer. I thought it would be fun, and I could have fresh jam without additives or extra sugar. Because of the drought, berry season ended very early, but I was able to get some organic peaches at the farmers' market.

Ingredients:
4 lbs. peaches
1 c. honey
1 small lemon

You can see that some of the peaches are underripe. This is needed, because underripe fruit has more natural pectin that will be released during cooking. If you use some underripe fruit you won't need to add the pectin out of a box. I also prefer most fruit in this state because it's still sweet without being sickeningly sweet. The first thing to do is to peel the peaches.

Next, cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and cut the peaches into small pieces. Put the pieces in measuring cups so you know how much you have. My 4 pounds of peaches ended up being about 6 cups.

Put the peaches in a large pot. Add in the fresh squeezed lemon and honey. Sugar can also be used, but I wanted a more natural jam. It's really up to you how much sweetener to put in. Some put in equal amount of fruit and sugar, and some use a 1:2 ratio of sweetener to fruit. That sounded like too much to me (again, I don't like things too sweet).

Cook over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, but not constantly (you're going to be here a while). After a few minutes, the mixture will start to boil.

When the mix starts to boil, turn the stove down to medium. It's best to keep the jam at a temperature where it's still boiling but not burning. Cook and stir for about 45 minutes. You'll see the mixture as it cooks down.

When the jam looks thick, test it for doneness. Be sure not to overcook it. Then can it according to your preferred method. 4 pounds of peaches made four 8-ounce jars of jam.

It was really satisfying to make my own jam. I can't wait to can again!

Printable: Homemade Peach Jam