Peach Jam

Processing: Boiling Water Canner 10 minutes
Storage: 12 months+
Yield: 8 cups per batch
   
Sweet, juicy, locally sourced peaches, lemon juice and sugar. A simple jam but packed full of peachy flavour! ♥
   
Ingredients:
3 lbs (1.3kg) peaches
½ cup water
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons powdered pectin
7 ½ cups sugar
    
Prepare peaches.Wash, peel and remove stones from peaches. Finely dice. Simmer with water and lemon juice for 10 minutes or until very soft. Puree, or mash for a chunky-style jam.
  
Prepare jars.
Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill.
  
Make jam.
Whisk pectin into peach mixture. Bring to a boil. Add the sugar all at once and bring to rolling boil. Boil as high as possible for 1 minute. Then turn the heat off, rest jam for a minute then skim foam from the surface.
   
Prepare lids.
Place lids into a bowl of boiled water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
  
Ladle hot jam into hot jars.Immediately spoon the hot jam into hot jars, leaving a 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Remove bubbles, check headspace is correct, and then wipe rims and seal.
  
Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
  
Next day: check for seals.
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up or down when pressed.
  
FLAVOUR IDEAS

• Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and/or ginger;
• Add a vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract);
• Replace 1/2 cup sugar with honey;
• Add a teaspoon of almond liqueur, bourbon, brandy or rum into each jar before sealing;
• Replace the water with apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice or champagne;
• Add a 1/4 cup passionfruit pulp.

      
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOGRAPHS HERE