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.

Lemons - Juice of one lemon and zest. Sugar - To help thicken and sweeten. I don't recommend substituting for a sugar alternative. Cornstarch - Optional, but works well as a thickener in place of pectin.

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.

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.

White peaches don't have as much acidity making it difficult to preserve and cling peaches stick to the pit making them very difficult to separate so you'll likely lose a lot of good peach flesh in the process of trying to remove the pit.

Regardless of the type of jam or jelly you have on hand, it's important to know the signs of spoilage. According to Lee, this may include yeasty off-odors, fermented alcohol-like flavors, and mold growth, which may appear as white fuzzy patches inside the jar or on the product itself.

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.

Homemade Strawberry Jam made with only 3 ingredients and without any pectin. You can't beat a good Homemade Strawberry Jam, it's so much better than any store bought. All you need are fresh juicy strawberries, lemon juice and a bag of sugar. Making Strawberry Jam couldn't be easier !

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.

When to add lemon juice in jam making? ›

Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its earlier consistency, about another 5 minutes.

Add pectin.

While this trick won't work for jam recipes that already call for pectin, adding pectin to a loose batch of jam while re-cooking it almost guarantees that the jam with set back up nicely. Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam.

It's Not Only About Pectin

There's another reason why lemon juice is added to most jam recipes: for safe canning and to prevent the growth of bacteria. Bringing the pH level down means jars can be sealed in a regular boiling water bath in a reasonable amount of time (sometimes as little as 10 minutes).

If the jam is still quite liquid then put the pan back on the heat, bring it back up to a rolling boil and cook for a couple more minutes before testing again. You may have to repeat this a few times before you find that your jam has set.

Mix jam or jelly with 25 mL (2 tbsp) sugar for each 250 mL (1 cup) of jam or jelly. Stir well until dissolved about 3 minutes. Measure 15 mL (1 tbsp) water and 7 mL (1/1/2 tsp) powdered pectin for each 250 mL (1 cup) of jelly or jam. Place in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until powdered pectin is dissolved.

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

Should I use yellow or white peaches for canning? Definitely yellow. White peaches have a pH above 4.6 making them low acid and hot water bath canning will not destroy harmful bacteria. There is also no low-acid pressure canning process available for white peaches.

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.