Perfect Peach Preserves Without Pectin.
Canning peach preserves is a perfect way to enjoy the taste of fresh summer peaches all year long! This simple peach preserves recipe does not contain pectin, allowing the taste of fresh peaches to take center stage.
{This recipe was originally published in August, 2016. Republished in July, 2019}
Here in Colorado, most of our peaches are grown in the western part of the state, in an area called The Grand Valley. The Grand Valley’s climate of hot days and cool nights is perfect for producing famously large, sweet, juicy peaches that are incredibly delicious.
We look forward to Colorado peaches aaaaallllll year. But, as you might imagine, our growing season is relatively short. Sometimes we get lucky and have a year when Colorado peaches are available for an entire month. Other years, the really good ones are only available for a couple of weeks.
And, even though nothing can compare to eating a fresh, ripe peach, standing over the sink, juice dripping down my chin, I do try and preserve and freeze as many as I can. Because opening a jar of peach preserves on a cold, dreary January morning is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.
What’s the difference between Peach Preserves, Peach Jam, and Peach Jelly?
Jelly is made from fruit juice rather than whole fruit. It has it’s place, but it’s not what I’m looking for when I want to preserve the fruit itself. Jam and preserves are very similar and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The big difference between the two is that jam uses crushed fruit, while preserves uses whole chunks.
Both jam and preserves are made from fresh fruit and sugar, and sometimes contain pectin, a naturally occurring substance in certain plants and fruits like apples and oranges.
There’s nothing wrong with using pectin in jams or preserves. But, it can interfere with the taste of the fruit slightly and using too much can create a somewhat jell-o like consistency. So, I prefer to just not use it if I don’t have to.
Even though peaches contain very little natural pectin, I find it’s not necessary to add additional pectin as long as you allow the peach preserves to cook long enough. A long, gentle simmer concentrates the peach juice, intensifying the flavor and creating a thick, delicious syrup surrounding all those delicious peach pieces.
A couple of things to keep in mind before making peach preserves…
As the peach juice concentrates and thickens, it will start to splatter a bit. This can’t be helped, but can be painful and messy if your pan is not deep enough to (mostly) contain the splatters. So, use the largest saucepan as you have. And, maybe wear long sleeves. 😊
It’s also important to use a saucepan with a thick, heavy bottom to prevent the peach preserves from burning. I use a large enameled cast iron dutch oven. If you don’t have a heavy, thick bottomed pan, it’s ok – just make sure to stir your preserves quite frequently to prevent scorching.
This recipe includes instructions for canning the preserves, but you can skip that step and just store the preserves in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks if you plan to use it quickly. If you want to make a large amount of peach preserves, I’d advise making successive batches rather than doubling this recipe. Not only would you need a very large pan to cook a larger batch, the increased amount of juice will mean you have to cook it much longer, causing the peaches to brown and start to loose flavor.
How long does it take to make Peach Preserves?
The total time really depends on how juicy your peaches are. The juicier the peaches, the longer your preserves will need to simmer in order to reach the jell point. Just be patient. It’ll be sooooo worth it.
If you’re using a pan with a thick bottom, you don’t need to stand over your stove stirring all the time. In fact, at first you’ll only need to stir every once in a while. As the mixture begins to thicken, you’ll want to stir more frequently to prevent scorching, but there’s no need to stand there stirring the whole time.
If you’ve never made preserves or jam before, it’s easier {and more delicious!} than you think.
This recipe is truly simple, requiring little else than chopping peaches, stirring them from time to time, ladling the preserves into jars and boiling them to seal.
Besides, when you are sharing jars of peach preserves with your closest friends at Christmas, or slathering a piece of toast with fresh peach preserves in the middle of February, you’ll be so glad you did.
Slather Peach Preserves on…
Use Peach Preserves to Make…
More ways to preserve the season…
Useful equipment:
Peach Preserves is a Building Block Recipe. Building Blocks are tried-and-true recipes that I find myself coming back to time and time again, sometimes to make them exactly as is, and sometimes as a starting point for something new. -> More Building Block Recipes.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Happy baking!
Peach Preserves Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus one hour of resting time)
- Cook Time: 1 - 2 hours
- Total Time: approximately 2 &1/2 - 3 & 1/2 hours
- Yield: Eight 8-ounce jars 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Canning peach preserves is a perfect way to enjoy the taste of fresh summer peaches all year long! This simple peach preserves recipe does not contain pectin, allowing the taste of fresh peaches to take center stage.
Ingredients
- The juice from 4 large lemons (approximately 8 tbsp)
- 6 lbs fresh peaches
- 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Eight 8-oz glass jelly jars
Instructions
- Pour the lemon juice into a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan. Peel, pit and chop the peaches into small, bite-size chunks. Add the peaches to the lemon juice as you chop, stirring with each addition to coat the peaches in the lemon juice which will prevent them from browning.
- Pour the sugar over the peaches and stir gently to coat the peaches in the sugar. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1 hour. *NOTE: The amount of sugar will depend on the sweetness of your peaches. If the peaches are quite sweet, 2 1/2 cups of sugar will suffice.
- Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 1-2 hours, until the liquid has reduced significantly and is thick and jelly-like. As the preserves begins to thicken you’ll want to stir more and more frequently to prevent scorching. (To test whether the preserves are done, place a small dish in the freezer until very cold. Spoon a small amount of preserves onto the cold dish, allowing it to cool quickly and providing an accurate sense of how thick the juice is.)
- Pour the hot mixture into very clean, dry glass jars leaving about 1/4 inch at the top. Using a damp cloth or paper towel, wipe the tops of the jar to ensure a clean seal. Cap and screw on lids, leaving them a bit loose.
- Bring a large pot of water, or water-bath canner, to a rolling boil and gently lower the jars into the boiling water using tongs. The water should cover the jars by at least 1/2 inch. Let process for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water bath and place upside down on a dry towel laid out on a flat surface. Allow to cool completely. (*See note)
Notes
Once the jars are cool, check the seal by gently pressing down on the center of the lid. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If that should happen to a jar or two, just store the preserves in the refrigerator and use it within 3 weeks. Properly sealed jars can be stored in the cupboard for up to 12 months.
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I made these preserves this afternoon. Had a little extra so I put in a very small jar in the fridge. Just tired them and YUMMY! Thank you for an easy to follow, no pectin recipe.
I do believe the lemons I used were extra-large, will use 3 lemons next time as I can taste some lemon. Hope this goes away in the canned jars.
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I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jeannie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xoxo
My peaches turned dark during the cooking process. I used a heavy nonstick pot, so I’m wondering if the peaches reacted to the metal in the pot? The preserves tasted fine, just a bit dark.
Hmmm… Julie, I’m not sure if your pot caused the peaches to darken or if it was caused by something else. The main reason for the lemon juice in this recipe is to prevent the peaches from getting too dark. With such a long cook time, some darkening is inevitable, but the goal of course is to end up with peach preserve that still looks like peaches! It’s possible that there simply wasn’t enough lemon juice in your batch. While I’ve never tried this myself, I’ve read that adding some ascorbic acid, which is just powdered vitamin C, can help prevent browning even more than lemon juice. The next time you make a batch, I’d suggest adding some ascorbic acid and seeing if that does the trick. I hope this helps! xo
Question: Do you ever add anything else to this recipe? A vanilla bean? A few sprigs of rosemary? How about some booze… a half-cup of brandy or bourbon?
Hi Grant! I’ve never added any other flavorings to peach preserves, mostly because I don’t want to interfere with the gorgeous flavor of fresh peaches. However, I’m sure a variety of flavorings would be lovely – especially if the flavor in the batch of peaches you’re working with is a bit flat. Vanilla or rosemary would be lovely. I’d also think that adding a jalapeño or two would be amazing. Adding liquors would also be wonderful, but might interfere a bit with the preserves thickening. If they seem a bit runny, just make sure to continue cooking them long enough to reduce the amount of liquid. If you do add some interesting flavorings, let me know what you think! xo
I have problems with acidic fruits, could I leave out the lemon
Hi Pat! The lemon juice is actually pretty important for two reasons: It lowers the pH level in the jam, which helps the jam thicken and “set”. The lemon juice also does a lot to prevent the growth of bacteria in the jam. For both of those reasons, I’d be afraid to leave it out. However the sugar and the cooking process should mitigate the acidity of the lemon juice somewhat, making it easier on your stomach. Do you have trouble with acidic fruits in all foods?
Yes. I love oranges.and bought some very good oranges from the school system and couldn’t eat them. I need to advoid all acidic fruits.
Well, darn. I don’t think this recipe is going to work for you then. At least, I can’t say with confidence that leaving out the lemon will work. You might try to make a very small batch without the lemon just to test it. If you do, and it still turns out well without the lemon, will you let me know?
Can you tell me how much lemon juice is equal to 4 large lemons?
Hi Sue! On average, one large lemon has about 2 tablespoons of juice. Also, thank you for asking this question. If it’s something you want to know, chances are others do too! As such, I have added that information to the recipe. Good luck and please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you! xo
I made these last weekend. Very good. I’ll continue to make these. Love that you don’t need to use pectin.
I am so glad to hear that you like this recipe Dianne! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xo
I was curious why the jars are set upside down when done. Does this affect proper sealing at all? Thanks!
Hi Rachel! Good question. Placing the jars upside down simply encourages sealing. To tell you the truth, it’s probably not necessary in this recipe. Most recipes call for either processing the filled jars in a boiling water bath OR adding hot preserves to jars and placing them upside down. I like to do both simply as insurance that all my jars will seal. Making preserves, or jam, takes a fair amount of effort, and I just never want to run the risk of a jar not sealing properly and loosing it’s contents to spoilage. Let me know if that doesn’t answer your question! xo
Hi, can this be frozen instead of canned using the same process?
I don’t see why not! Just make sure to leave 1/4 – 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar for expansion. Fill clean jars with hot preserves, seal tightly, and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Then pop in the freezer. Let me know if you have any other questions and how your preserves turn out! xo
Could you cook this in a slow cooker?
Hi Priscilla! I think this would work. I’ve never tried to make preserves in a slow cooker, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work beautifully. I’d suggest starting them off on High heat for the first hour to get the temperature up. Give the preserves a quick stir and then turn the temperature down to low. I’d guess, that you’d need to cook them on low for 6 hours… but you’ll have to experiment a bit to see how long they really take. I’d love to know how this works out for you! xo
Yep, I’m that person who reads every reply. We’ve done apple butter very successfully in a crockpot, so don’t see why preserves wouldn’t work. As you say, start on high, then cook on low until desired consistency. No scorching, no spattering and no standing over a hot stove for hours in a tiny, badly-ventilated, un-air conditioned kitchen!
I’m so glad you’re “that” person. 🙂 I LOVE the idea of cooking apple butter and preserves in a crock pot. Now I’m going to have to go purchase another box of Colorado peaches just so I can try it. For the sake of research and all. 🙂
Can you use an artificial sweetener such as stevia instead of regular sugar.
Hi Patti! You can substitute stevia for the sugar, but I’d suggest adding some pectin. Sugar helps create the “gel” in jam, so if you replace it, it’s important to add something else that will fulfill that duty. I’d suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of pectin. It’s possible you’ll need a bit more… but, if you allow the jam to boil down for quite a while, I suspect that’s all you’ll need. Let me know how this works for you! xo
Hi, can you tell me approximately how many cups of peaches would be equivalent to 2 1/2 pounds?
Sorry I meant 6 lbs of peaches, not 2 1/2!
Hi Cathy! Thanks for the question. One pound of peaches will give you approximately 2 1/2 cups of sliced peaches. So, 6 pounds should be equal to about 15 cups. Let me know if you have any more questions! And, I’d love to hear how your jam comes out!
I added rosemary and it was great. I also made some with bourbon and cooked it a little longer. Just add to taste. Also added chopped maraschino cherries to a batch.
OMG. I’ve never thought about adding fresh rosemary. Totally going to have to try that next time. Genius. xo
The peach truck is coming to my area on tuesday…going to buy a couple of boxes of Georgia peaches..can’t wait to try this recipe..thank you
Soooo jealous! It’ll be a few more weeks before Colorado peaches are ready. Fresh summer peaches are such a treat, aren’t they? Please let me know what you think of this recipe! I’ll be making a big batch myself sometimes towards the end of August. Last year’s batch was gone by November, so I’d better make more this year! xo
I already have my peaches cup up & frozen. I will be thawing out to make these perserves. The recipe calls for 6 lbs of peaches. How many cup of peaches do I use>
★★★★★
In general, 1 pound of peaches is equal to 2 3/4 – 3 cups sliced peaches or 2 1/4 cups chopped peaches. Not sure if yours are sliced or chopped, but I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. And, I’d love to hear how your preserves turn out!
can i use sugar substitute like splenda
Hi Jennifer! I’ve personally never tested this recipe with a sugar substitute, but I believe you could replace up to half the sugar with Splenda or Stevia and be ok. Sugar actually interacts with the natural pectin in the fruit to help the preserves thicken. So, substituting some of the sugar might result in a slightly runnier consistency. My concern with substituting all the sugar is that the preserves will be super runny. The other alternative would be to substitute all the sugar for Splenda or Stevia, but add some additional pectin into the mix. Whatever you decide, will you let me know how your preserves turn out?
I love hot salsa, would love to can some, being that fresh tomatoes are in season. Do you have a canning recipe for hot salsa? My mom used to can salsa, it was soo good! That was years ago..This will be my first time canning…lol but I love learning !
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Hi Sandy! I’ve actually never canned salsa. I usually just make it fresh throughout the summer as long as the tomatoes are in season. But, you’ve got me thinking that I should make a batch of salsa to can. If I do, I’ll send you the recipe! xo
As strange as this may sound, instead of cooking in water bath, can this be done in the dishwasher? I ask because, if doable, it would save time when doing large batches.
Thanks!
Hi Christy! I’ve heard of people using a dishwasher for canning, but have never tried it myself. After reading your question, I did a bit of research and most canning experts don’t recommend it, saying that it’s not reliable and might result in food poisoning. My suggestion would be to stick with the water bath method. It is a bit time consuming, but loosing a whole batch of preserves to botulism would be even worse. 🙂 Please let me know if you have any more questions! xo
Would bottled lemon juice work instead of fresh? I’m unsure if the pectin content in bottled is different than fresh and will affect the jam/preserve…..
★★★★★
Hi Chelsea! Bottled lemon juice will work just fine. If you can, try to find a brand that is not from concentrate. Sometimes juice from concentrate can have a bit of an “off” flavor that might cary over into the preserves. Please let me know if you have any more questions!
Hi, Rebecca,
I’m eager to try your recipe. We live in Colorado, too, and are canning our way through three large boxes of gorgeous Palisade peaches. I saved some just for this. Is your canning time adjusted for altitude?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan! The peaches this year are so good, aren’t they? We’ve already gone through three boxes as well and I’m considering purchasing a 4th. 🙂 If you live in Colorado, the canning time will work perfectly for you. I’ve made three batches so far this year and not had any issues. If you think about it, I’d love to know what you think of the preserves after you make some. Happy canning! xo
Just ate a big fat spoonful right out of the pan and it was fabulous – husband was leery of cutting back on sugar as he is a devotee of the Ball method of equal parts sugar to fruit, but I think this may have converted him! Thanks so much for this recipe, as daughter and I really need to cut back on sugar but not fans of stevia- or artificially- sweetened recipes. I’ll be back to check out some of your other recipes. Timing was perfect, btw. We thought about getting more, too, but we ended up with 30+ quarts of canned peaches and 8+ pints of preserves, so I think we’re OK. Will be visiting the farmers market this weekend to see what else is out there. I’m ready for some plums and pears, myself.
Woo-hoo! I’m so glad your preserves turned out well! Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know. I really appreciate it! Have fun at the farmers market this weekend. I found some yummy mini plums last weekend at our local farmers market and made this Almond Plum Cake. 😋 xo
Getting ready to try this! and wonder I will be using honey instead of granulated sugar and will let you know results! Thank you for simple recipe!
AMAZING!!! used 1/2 cup honey and 8 tbs of fresh squeezed lemon and 6 lbs of peaches – AMAZING! Thank you!!
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I’m soooooo glad to know that the preserves came out well using honey! It’s great to know that this is an option. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xoxo
Hi my name is Ebed Almaraz I am making my fist batch of peach preserves ever! The reason is because your recipe is so simple, a friend of mine gave me a pot with Mason jars for canning but I thought it was complicated, so I’m excited to see how they turn out, our peach tree gave us beautiful large peaches so I want to make this preserve so we can enjoy some for the winter. Thanks so much for sharing
🌷Ebed 🌷
Hi Ebed! I am so envious that you have a peach tree! 🙂 If you think about it, I would love to hear how your first batch of preserves comes out! Happy canning! xo
Can this be stored outside of refrigerator? How long will they last at ambient temperature?
Hi Lissette! If you can the preserves – process jars of preserves in boiling water to seal, as described in steps 4 and 5 of the recipe – the jars will keep in a cupboard or pantry for years. If you don’t can the preserves, they must be kept in the refrigerator and will keep for about 3 weeks. Does that answer your question?
Hello,
I was wondering if I can double the recipe; so that I can hot water bath more jars at a time. I use my Mom’s 1974 Presto Pressure Canner and I can leave the lid unlocked for hot water bath processing. It will hold 16 1/2 pint jars. It would be nice to process them all at once.
Thank You
Hi there! I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t double this recipe IF you have a pot big enough to hold that much preserves. As the preserves thicken, they do splatter quite a bit, so if you have a large, deep saucepan, you should be fine. Be sure to stir the preserves while the cook often so that the bottom doesn’t burn. The other option would be to double the recipe and then cook the preserves in two separate pans. Let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to hear how your preserves come out! xo
Can I half this recipe?
Hi Tina! Yes – you can half the recipe, no problem. Just be sure to stir the preserves often, especially towards the end of cooking, so they don’t scorch. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to hear how the preserves turn out for you! xo