CANNING RECIPES

Canning Basics: Vanilla Peach Jam

Updated

A beginner-friendly guide to water-bath canning with a simple vanilla peach jam made from ripe peaches, sugar, lemon juice and a split vanilla bean, cooked down without added pectin.

Prep
45 min
Cook
1 hr 40 min
Total
2 hr 25 min
Yield
about 4 half-pint (8-ounce) jars
Illustration of Canning Basics: Vanilla Peach Jam
AI-generated illustration, not a photo of this recipe.

Peach jam is one of the easiest ways to get started with home canning. This version from the KitchenSimplicity archive needs only four ingredients: ripe peaches, sugar, lemon juice and a vanilla bean, which gives the jam a warm, almost creamy aroma. There is no commercial pectin; the fruit simply simmers until it thickens into a soft, spreadable set.

The method below walks through the basics of a boiling water bath, from preparing jars to checking the seals. The canning steps follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP): jar preparation, 1/4-inch headspace, processing times by altitude and the seal check. The recipe uses twice the lemon juice of the NCHFP tested peach jam without added pectin. Make it in late summer when local peaches are at their peak, and you will have jars to brighten toast, yogurt and biscuits through the colder months.

Tips

  • Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place and use within about 1 year for the best color and flavor. Refrigerate after opening.
  • Use bottled lemon juice rather than fresh; its acidity is consistent. Do not reduce the lemon juice or the sugar.
  • Look up your elevation before you start: the processing time goes up above 1,000 feet and again above 6,000 feet.
  • Do not double the batch. A larger volume takes longer to reach the gel point and can scorch or turn dark.
  • If you would rather skip canning, ladle the cooled jam into clean containers and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year.

Canning Basics: Vanilla Peach Jam

Prep
45 min
Cook
1 hr 40 min
Total
2 hr 25 min
Yield
about 4 half-pint (8-ounce) jars

Ingredients

  • For the jam:
  • 3 pounds (1.4 kg) ripe peaches
  • 3 1/2 cups (700 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) bottled lemon juice
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • For canning:
  • 4 to 5 half-pint (8-ounce) canning jars, plus 1 spare in case of extra jam
  • New two-piece canning lids and screw bands

Steps

  1. Before you start, put 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer for testing the set later.
  2. Set up the canner: check the jars for nicks or cracks, wash them in hot, soapy water and rinse. Place the rack in a boiling-water canner or a large, deep pot, stand the jars on it and add water to cover them by 1 inch. Heat to about 180°F and keep the jars hot until you fill them. Because the jars will be processed for 10 minutes or longer, they do not need to be sterilized first. Use new flat lids; bands can be reused if they are not bent or rusty. Wash the lids and bands in warm, soapy water and prepare them as the lid maker directs (current Ball and Kerr lids only need washing, not heating).
  3. Peel the peaches: cut a shallow X in the bottom of each, lower them into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then move them to a bowl of ice water. The skins will slip off. Halve, pit and dice the peaches into roughly 1/2-inch pieces.
  4. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife.
  5. Put the diced peaches, sugar, bottled lemon juice, vanilla seeds and the scraped pod in a wide, heavy pot. Measure the lemon juice exactly and do not cut it back; peaches need the added acid. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.
  6. Lower the heat and keep the jam at a steady simmer, stirring often and more frequently as it thickens, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Mash some of the fruit against the side of the pot if you prefer a smoother jam.
  7. Test for doneness: spoon a little jam onto a frozen plate and return it to the freezer for 2 minutes. Push the jam with your fingertip; if the surface wrinkles and the jam holds its shape, it is ready. If not, keep cooking and test again every 5 minutes. On a thermometer, the gel point is 8°F above the boiling point of water: 220°F at sea level, about 218°F at 1,000 feet, 216°F at 2,000 feet and 214°F at 3,000 feet.
  8. Take the pot off the heat. Lift out the vanilla pod and discard it; do not put it in the jars. Skim off any foam.
  9. Lift a hot jar from the canner, pour the water back into the pot and ladle in the hot jam right away, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Run a clean plastic spatula around the inside to release air bubbles, add a little more jam if needed to restore the headspace, and wipe the rim with a clean, damp paper towel. Center a lid on top and screw on the band just until fingertip-tight. Set the jar back on the canner rack and repeat with the remaining jars.
  10. Make sure the water in the canner is about 180°F and covers the jars by 1 to 2 inches; add hot water if needed, pouring it around the jars rather than onto them. Cover the canner, turn the heat to high and bring the water to a full rolling boil, then start timing. Process half-pint or pint jars for 10 minutes at elevations up to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes at 1,001 to 6,000 feet, and 20 minutes above 6,000 feet. Keep the water boiling the whole time; if it stops boiling, bring it back to a full boil and start the timer again from the beginning.
  11. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes. Lift the jars straight up without tilting them and set them on a towel or rack, at least 1 inch apart, away from drafts. Leave them undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten the bands or press on the lids while the jars cool.
  12. Check the seals: remove the bands and press the center of each lid. A sealed lid is curved down slightly and does not flex or spring back. Wipe the jars, then label and date them. If a jar did not seal, either reprocess it within 24 hours with a new lid for the same time (check the jar rim for nicks first) or refrigerate it and use it first.

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