Small batch easy peach jam (3 ingredients)

This 3-ingredient small batch easy peach jam is one of my best jam recipes with no pectin. With the freshest peach aroma, it’s lower in sugar and has an easy canning method!

Is this 3-ingredient small batch peach jam too good to be true?

With no pectin, no maceration times, no chopping, and no long hours of cooking, this recipe is a summer dream come true. All you have to do is peel 4-5 of the most fragrant peaches you can find, puree them in a food processor and cook them for about 20 minutes in a large pot with some sugar. Sounds easy, right?

And you don’t even have to weigh the ingredients! All you have to remember is that you’ll need 1 cup of sugar for every two cups of peach puree. Something which, when measured by weight, translates to a jam made with 71% fresh fruit and 29% sugar. So it’s safe to say that this homemade peach jam is low in sugar compared to your average peach jam. Also, if you like apricots you can substitute some of the peaches with them with no problem.

My most favorite way of eating this homemade jam is with white cake. But not any cake! If you try it with the white chocolate whisper cake from Rose Beranbaum’s Cake Bible, then you’ll know what I mean. It’s pure bliss!!! Of course, it’s also great in this trifle with white chocolate cream (especially if you replace the strawberries with cubed peaches), or even with a thick slice of bread and some homemade yogurt cream cheese.

How do you make peach jam from scratch?

To make this easy small batch peach jam taste delicious you must keep some things in mind. The most important thing is to preserve the fresh taste and aroma of the peaches. Except from choosing the best and ripest fruit you can find you should also not cook your jam for too long. Long cooking time will change the taste (all the freshness will be lost) and will also make the color darker. So, what should you do?

• Prepare the peaches: Peel them, cut in half and remove the pits. Optionally, you can remove the red part of the fruit that is close to the pit.
• Process the peaches in a food processor. This breaks them down into pulp, something that extracts all of their juices (making macerating unnecessary) and helps the jam to cook faster. If you like your jam with small bits of fruit you could leave some in there, but I haven’t tried this since I prefer the smooth texture.
• Make a small batch and use a very wide pot. Add the peach puree and the sugar to the pot and cook until it thickens. When the surface of the pot is very wide and the quantity of the peaches not too much, the water from the fruit evaporates faster. That means that the jam will thicken in less time, thus preserving most of the fresh flavor of your peaches and their bright color.

What is the difference between peach preserves and peach jam?

In jam, all the fruit is crushed or pureed and cooked with sugar so the end result is a homogeneous mixture. In preserves, the fruit is usually chopped or cut into chunks and gets cooked with sugar. The sugar draws out the juices from the fruit and creates a thick gel/syrup during cooking.

Can you leave the skin on peaches for jam?

I don’t suggest leaving the skin on, because it will have a negative impact on the texture of the jam.

How to pick the best peaches for making jam

I have some simple rules for my homemade peach jam to be the best it can be, and since it has only 3 ingredients, one of them has to do with the quality of the fruit.

• Use seasonal peaches. I find that August and September are the months with the most delicious, juicy peaches.
• Use the ripest peaches you can find. Smell each fruit and pick the ones that smell the best. Also, the fruit should seem heavy for its size (that means it is juicier).

How can I thicken my peach jam?

This easy small batch jam has no pectin added. Also, peaches are not rich in pectin as other fruit like apples, so it is naturally runnier. If you want to make it thicker you can:

• Cook it longer. This can affect the taste and the color, so do it with caution.
• Add the peel of one or two apples. The skin of the apples is naturally rich in pectin something that will help thicken the jam.
• Replace some of the white sugar with jam sugar which has pectin added in it (but I really don’t find it necessary).

Can I make Jam with brown sugar or other alternatives?

I don’t suggest using brown sugar or other alternatives like coconut sugar or even sweeteners because the result will be totally different. Using brown or coconut sugar will change the taste of the peach jam. Using sweeteners like stevia will probably make your jam runny and will not let it thicken.

How to know when the jam is done:

If you have a kitchen thermometer, then your life is very easy! When the jam reaches 221 °F/105 °C it’s ready. Otherwise, you can put a small plate in the freezer and make a test by dropping a teaspoon of jam onto the plate and spread it to cool completely. If it’s not runny, then it’s ready.

The easy canning method

This is the method I use, and until now I had no problems. The whole procedure is pretty easy:

• Transfer the jars and the lids in a big pot, fill it with water and boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Using tongs, take the jars and the lids out of the pot, drain them and let them rest on a clean towel.
• When your jam is ready and still hot, fill the jars (not all the way to the top!) and secure the lids (use thick gloves or a towel during handling because everything will be hot).
• Invert the jars upside down and wait until they have cooled.
• Re-invert and check the top of each lid by pressing the middle with your finger. If there is no give, then the jar is properly sealed.

I’ve also used this method to preserve some poached mini apples that I made to serve with a vanilla yogurt cream and granola. Store in the fridge any jar that is not properly sealed and consume it first.

Some notes/tips:

• Use a very wide and deep pot. A pot with tall sides will protect you in case of any spills
• Use a long wooden spatula or a whisk and stir the jam very frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Since this is a low-sugar jam, it’s not as thick as commercial jam. Once opened, keep it refrigerated and consume within a month.
• For a light-colored jam, remove the red flesh of the fruit that’s near the stone.
• You can also make this jam with apricots.

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Small batch easy peach jam (3 ingredients)

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

This 3-ingredient small batch easy peach jam is one of my best jam recipes with no pectin. With the freshest peach aroma, it’s lower in sugar and has an easy canning method!

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Global, Mediterranean

Keyword: easy, jam, peach, small-batch

Servings: 4 cups

Calories: 27 kcal

Author: The Hungry Bites

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 kg) fresh peaches, pureed
• 2 cups (400 grams) white sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Peel the peaches and remove the pits. Cut them into chunks, transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. You can do this in batches.

2. Pour the peach puree in a wide and deep pot and add the sugar and one tablespoon of the lemon juice. Bring to a light boil and cook for about 2o minutes stirring very frequently. The jam will be ready when it reaches 221 °F/105 °C or when it’s thick enough when dropped onto a cold plate. Then, add the rest of the lemon juice, stir, and remove the pot from the heat.

3. Transfer the hot jam into pasteurized jars, making sure not to fill them all the way to the rim. Using thick gloves or a towel, secure the lids, invert the jars upside-down, and let them cool.
4. When opened, store in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

• You’ll need approximately 3 pounds (or 4-5 large) peaches.
• For a light-colored jam, remove the red flesh of the fruit that’s near the stone.
• Because it’s lower in sugar this jam will not be very thick, but it will rather have a gorgeous, spreadable consistency. If you want it thicker, you can use 1 cup jam sugar (sugar with added pectin) and 1 cup plain sugar.
• Serving size: 1 Tablespoon

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Similar recipes you will love:

• No-bake cheesecake with sauteed peaches
• Jam tart with olive oil crust
• Trifle with white chocolate cream

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