Canning Vanilla Peach Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it safe to can white peach jam? ›

White peaches are naturally lower in acid, so they require the addition of lemon juice or other acid to safely can. Definitely don't skip this. Marisa recommends 1 tablespoon of added lemon juice per finished pint, but I figured 2 or 3 couldn't hurt.

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.

How much pectin do I need to add? The amount of pectin needed to thicken your jam varies depending on the fruit and the other ingredients, as well as how thick you prefer your jam, however, as a rough guide, 3g for every kilogram of fruit, or 1.5 teaspoons of powdered pectin for every cup of jam.

Cook the jam, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula at first and more frequently as juices thicken until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, about 25 to 35 minutes.

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.

CAUTION: Do not can white-flesh peaches.

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.

With a simple lemon juice trick, your homemade jam will achieve your desired thick texture. Preparing jam is about capturing the sweet essence of the fruit while simultaneously cooking it down to the perfect syrupy consistency.

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.

I did a bunch of canning and jam recipes last summer from Ball's book of canning. With the sugar, citrus and pectin, they recommend 18 months but you should be able to judge by the look, smell and taste if you are worried about it. If it smells bad or the lid pops, its a good indication that its gone bad.

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.

Why not to use pectin? ›

Pectin can reduce the body's ability to absorb beta-carotene, an important nutrient. And pectin can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb certain drugs, including: Digoxin (a heart medicine) Lovastatin (a cholesterol-lowering drug)

Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set. With low-pectin fruits like strawberries, help them along by either mixing with pectin-rich fruit like gooseberries or by using jam sugar (with added pectin and citric acid).

1) The Saucer Test

You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it's set! You can also let the spoonful of jam sit on the cold plate for 30 seconds and then push it with your spoon or finger. If it wrinkles up, you've reached your setting point.

5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.

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

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.

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.

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.