This is my all time favourite peach jam recipe. A sinfully luscious recipe made from juicy seasonal peaches with a touch of vanilla and the mellow flavour of bourbon. Breakfast will never be the same again.
Jam is readily available at your local supermarket, and generally quite cheap to purchase. But there is something I find quite satisfying, almost therapeutic, about making jam at home.
Not only does it allow you to make use of locally grown seasonal produce. You have the opportunity to play with flavour combinations that aren’t available commercially.
I regularly make strawberry jam when strawberries are in season. Pineapple jam is another I love making as I can't easily buy it in Sydney.
Last Christmas I scoured supermarkets and delis to find a jar of peach jam for my peach and bourbon glazed ham. No luck, none to be found. That my friends was the inspiration to make this delicious bourbon peach jam.
Sara xxx
What's in this post
Ingredients
This jam is made without pectin. Commercially bought pectin that is. I avoid additives when making any food from scratch at home as it misses the point of doing so. The ‘real fruit pectin’ which is available commercially does have other things in it besides fruit pectin.
- Peaches: I recommend yellow peaches, see my top tips for more information. In reality, you can use any peaches you like.
- Sugar: Straight granulated sugar.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: You could use a whole vanilla bean pod instead. Add the pod along with the scraped seeds at the time you would add the paste. Remove the pod before mushing the peach mixture.
- Bourbon: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is my personal choice and adds a lovely mellow bourbon flavour. 250ml (1 cup) may seem a lot in the recipe but by adding the bourbon at the start of cooking it loses the harsh whiskey kick. You retain a delightful mellow bourbon flavour in the end result.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice replaces the need to use store bought pectin in the jam. Lemons are full of natural pectin and aid in the jam setting.
Recipe Instructions
- Before starting this recipe sterilise six 1 cup jars and lids. Once sterilised keep warm in the oven until needed. See jam storing FAQs if not canning.
- Place a small plate/saucer in the freezer to chill.
- Put peaches, sugar, vanilla, bourbon, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Stir together and leave to sit covered for 30 minutes.
- Over low heat stir mixture until all the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until peaches are soft, stirring the mixture occasionally.
- Remove saucepan from the heat. Using a potato masher crush the peaches until they are almost smooth, but still, have some nice textural lumps/bumps to them.
- Return peach mixture to medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Stir occasionally for the mixture not to catch. Bring the mixture up to 105°C (220°F) and remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Remove the small plate from the freezer and test 1 teaspoon of the mixture. Drag your finger through the mixture, if your finger leaves a trail and the jam stays parted it is ready. If not return to the heat for a few more minutes and test again. Repeat until the jam is the right consistency.
- Once the jam is at the right consistency, using a spoon skim any surface foam and discard.
- Fill warm sterilised jars with bourbon peach jam. Use a funnel for ease and to keep the jar rims clean.
- Seal jars with their lids and then place them in a pot of boiling water, making sure that the lids are covered.
- Boil jars for 10 minutes, leave to rest for 5 minute, and then remove carefully and leave to cool for 12 hours undisturbed.
- Once cool double check that the jars have all sealed tightly and then store in a dark cool place until ready to use.
- Once a jar of jam has been opened, store it in the fridge until finished.
Sara's Top Peach Jam Tips
Removing Skin from Peaches
When you know how it is very simple, and I find it the best way to remove skin from peaches. Just like tomatoes, cut a small cross at the bottom of the peach and blanch them in boiling water for one minute.
Remove immediately and place in a bowl of iced water to stop cooking. The skins will easily slip off the peaches.
Use Yellow Peaches
Make sure you use yellow peaches for this recipe. Both for taste and acid level of the fruit.
Canning Jam
You will need a pot large enough to fit six 1 cup jars, covered with water that will be boiling.
Ensure the jars and lids are sterilised. I put mine through the dishwasher on the hottest setting without any dishwashing detergent, and be sure to take out any deodorisers you may have in your dishwasher.
After pouring your jam into your sterilised jars make sure that the jar rims (where the lids will sit) are clean of any jam spills to ensure a good seal.
Seal the jars and place on a rack in a large pot. Cover the jars completely with water, place the lid on the pot, and bring to the boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes turn the heat off and remove the lid from the pot. Leave jars to rest in the water for five minutes.
Remove jars from the pot and allow them to rest undisturbed on a heat resistant surface for 12 hours or overnight. Once rested check jars to make sure they have sealed correctly.
Jam Storing FAQs
Preserved jam will keep for 12 months in a cool dark place.
Unpreserved or non-canned jam will keep in the fridge for approximately three - four months.
Yes, jam can be frozen. Once the jam has been cooked put in clean jars leaving 1cm (¼-1/2 inch) headspace. Seal jars with their lids and rest at room temperature for 24 hours. Then place jars in the freezer for up to 12 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before use. Use within one month.
Printable Recipe
Bourbon Peach Jam
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups of small diced yellow peaches skin removed (roughly 6 peaches)
- 550 grams (2 ½cups) sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 250 ml (1 cup) bourbon
- 40 ml (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
Instructions
- Before starting this recipe sterilise six 1 cup jars and lids. Once sterilised keep warm in the oven until needed.
- Place a small plate/saucer in the freezer to chill.
- Put peaches, sugar, vanilla, bourbon, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Stir together and leave to sit covered for 30 minutes.
- Over a low heat stir mixture until all the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until peaches are soft, stirring the mixture occasionally.
- Remove saucepan from the heat. Using a potato masher crush the peaches until they are almost smooth, but still, have some nice textural lumps/bumps to them.
- Return peach mixture to medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Stir occasionally for the mixture not to catch. Bring the mixture up to 105°C (220°F) and remove saucepan from the heat.
- Remove the small plate from the freezer and test 1 teaspoon of the mixture. Drag your finger through the mixture, if your finger leaves a trail and the jam stays parted it is ready. If not return to the heat for a few more minutes and test again. Repeat until the jam is the right consistency.
- Once the jam is at the right consistency, using a spoon skim any surface foam and discard.
- Fill warm sterilised jars with peach vanilla bourbon jam. Use a funnel for easy and to keep the jar rims clean.
- Seal jars with their lids and then place in a pot of boiling water, making sure that the lids are covered.
- Boil jars for 10 minutes, leave to rest in the water for 5 minutes, and then remove carefully and leave to cool.
- Once cool double check that the jars have all sealed tightly and then store in a dark cool place until ready to use.
- Once a jar of jam has been opened, store in the fridge until finished.
Notes
Ensure the jars and lids are sterilised. I put mine through the dishwasher on the hottest setting without any dishwashing detergent, and be sure to take out any deodorisers you may have in your dishwasher. After pouring your jam into your sterilised jars make sure that the jar rims (where the lids will sit) are clean of any jam spills to ensure a good seal. GENERAL COOK’S NOTES All oven temperatures are fan forced, increase the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F) for convection ovens. All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified;
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
Dawn
When is the lemon juice added? It is not in the instructions.
Sara McCleary
Hi Dawn
Apologies for that, the recipe has been amended to add the lemon juice. The lemon juice is added with all the other ingredients.
Cheers, Sara