Full of summer colour and flavour with a kick of sweet spice, this Spiced Peach Jam tastes good all year round. Make a batch up and enjoy it through all of the seasons.
Have you tried my small-batch recipes for spiced damson jam or cherry jam?
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One of the joys of jam making is being able to mess around and create your own flavours. Which is exactly how this deeply colourful, sweet and gently spiced peach jam came about.
I’ll confess that jam making is a summer ritual I am slightly addicted to. I just love creating a seemingly endless supply of homemade summer flavour for my family to enjoy all year long.
Spread this spiced peach jam onto your morning toast. Dollop it on your flaky croissants. Spread it between layers of Victoria Sponge Cake. I don’t really need to tell you how to use jam.
However, I’m sure that a few instructions on the basics of jam making would not go unappreciated. If you are new to the market for jam making and, like me, frequently wonder:
- do I need jam sugar?
- or should I be using preserving sugar?
- and when, exactly, do I need to add pectin?
then head over to Serious Eats for a low down on the science behind fruit, acid, sugar, water and pectin.
If you are feeling ready to try your hand at home preserving, read on for instructions on how to make this spiced peach jam. Into curds too? I’ve got lemon curd and passion fruit curd to keep you busytoo.
Ingredients
With the exception of the fresh fruit, this spiced peach jam contains ingredients that are likely to be lying around your baking cupboard. No ingredients solely used for jam making need to be purchased for this recipe.
Peaches – of course, this is the number one ingredient for this recipe. Pick ripe, juicy fruits with yellow flesh. It’s up to you whether to peel the skin or not. I did not.
Granulated sugar – this is a lovely soft set jam, so I selected regular sugar over jam sugar. Jam sugar has added pectin and acid in it which would lead to a firmer set preserve
Lemon juice – I did, however, want to achieve a jam rather than a sauce, so the addition of lemon juice helped achieve the soft set
Spices – cinnamon, sar anise, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and fresh ginger. All the usual suspects.
How to Make Peach Jam
- Remove the peaches from their stone and dice the flesh. The size of the pieces is up to you, depending how chunky you like your jam
- Put water, lemon juice, peaches and sugar into a medium, heavy based pan
- Snap the cinnamon stick in half and add to the pan
- Slit the vanilla pod open and scape the seeds into the pan. Toss in the pod too
- Add the remaining ingredients (star anise, cloves, ginger & nutmeg) to the pan
- Simmer gently, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes then bring to a rapid boil to reach the setting point (105C /220F – see details below on how to check for the setting point)
- Take off the heat and remove the whole spices and the vanilla pod
- Let cool for 10 minutes before pouring into sterilised jars (see below for how to prepare sterilised jars)
- Cover with a wax disc and seal
- Store for at least 4 weeks (and up to 1 year) before opening to allow the flavours to develop
- Once open store in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving – eat within 2 weeks
How to Check for the Setting Point of Jam
The setting point for jam is 105c (220F). There are several ways to test for this:
- Use a sugar thermometer or a Thermapen to check the temperature. When it reach 105C/ 220F the setting point has been reached
- Alternatively, check for the setting point using the “wrinkle” test:
- Before you start making the jam put a couple of small heatproof plates in the freezer
- Once your jam has boiled for several minutes, take the pan off the heat and spoon a blob of jam onto one of the cold plates
- Let it stand for a minute then push the jam with your finger. If the surface wrinkles then setting point has been reached
- If it is still quite liquid then put the pan back on the heat and boil the jam for another 3 to 5 minutes before testing again.
How to Sterilise Jam Jars
If you are new to jam making and are wondering how to sterilise jars, here’s a quick run down:
- wash your jars in hot, soapy water
- rinse them with clean water
- dry them in the oven at 140C/ 275F until… dry
- If using kilner jars remove & boil the rubber seals in water – dry heat damages them
- when the jam is ready fill each jar to around 1 centimetre below the surface
- top with a waxed paper disc on the surface (to prevent any water condensation on the jam)
- seal the jar firmly
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Spiced Peach Jam
Ingredients
- 600g (21oz) Peaches (about 3) – it’s up to you whether to remove the skin – I did not
- 400g (2 cups) Granulated sugar
- Juice 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp tablespoon Water
- 1 Star anise
- 4 Cloves
- ¼ tsp Ground nutmeg
- 1 x 15cm Cinnamon stick
- 5g Fresh ginger (approx 4 x 1mm rounds)
- 1 Vanilla pod
Instructions
- Remove the peaches from their stone and dice the flesh (size of chunks is up to you)
- Put water, lemon juice, peaches and sugar into a medium, heavy based pan
- Snap the cinnamon stick in half and add to the pan
- Slit the vanilla pod open and scape the seeds into the pan. Toss in the pod too
- Add the remaining ingredients (star anise, cloves, ginger & nutmeg) to the pan
- Simmer gently, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes then bring to a rapid boil to reach the setting point (see below)
- Take off the heat and remove the whole spices and the vanilla pod
- Let cool for 10 minutes before pouring into sterilised jars. Cover with a wax disc and seal
- Store for at least 4 weeks (and up to 1 year) before opening to allow the flavours to develop
- Once open store in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving – eat within 2 weeks
Michelle - Giraffes Can Bake
This jam looks amazing! I do not make jam enough, I need to get on it this summer! The colour on this peach jam is just gorgeous, and your photos are beautiful
Jane Saunders
Thanks Michelle. Once you get going on the jam making it becomes a little addictive. I’m over-run with jars of blackcurrant jam this summer – not that it’s a hardship 🙂
Hannah Hossack-Lodge
This sounds so delicious, particularly with all the spices; I love making jam but for some reason have never made a peach one; one to make this Summer perhaps!
Jane Saunders
Thanks Hannah. I need to make more, it doesn’t last long once opened in my house.
Lucy Parissi
My mum’s peach jam is legendary but this looks even better! In fact it looks phenomenal. I think you need to make a peach cake with it!
Jane Saunders
Um, don’t tell you Mum what you just said and as for peach cake – genius. Thanks Lucy.
Tracy
I was JUST telling my husband that we needed to make some jam for M’s morning toast and bam- here it is!! Hooray for fresh peach season – adding this to the top of my list to make!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou Tracy. One of my daughters loves peachesso much that she eats them as fast as I can buy them when in season. She has a particular soft spot for this jam, so I hope your little M does too.
kellie@foodtoglow
I get slightly addicted to jam making too! We also have blackcurrants in our garden, and also wild berries very near by so it is almost free to make. I usually make about 15 jars or so, giving many away but keeping about 6. We are on our last jar right now – argh! You beautiful golden spice peach jam has the most dreamy flavour profile and I can think of nothing better than adding this to my repertoire so best to capture this wonderful fruit to enjoy any time of the year. Really lovely, Jane xx
Jane Saunders
Thankyou Kellie. Seems your six jars is just about right. Maybe squeeze in a 7th for this year though, just to be sure.
Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl)
This jam looks so yummy and the photography is absolutely amazing 🙂
Jane Saunders
Thanks so much Pamela 🙂
swayam
You forgot to mention, eat it by spoonfuls coz I am pretty sure that’s what I will be doing. That color and those pictures Jane!! Brilliant stuff.
Jane Saunders
Ah, thankyou S. It was quite hard to stop eating it. My reserve is going down rapidly. I need to make more asap.
Emily
This looks so delicious, gorgeous photos!
Jane Saunders
Thanks Emily
Annie @ Annie's Noms
This looks fantastic! I love homemade jam, but have never made peach before. I just have to make this soon as I can imagine spreading it on everything; so delicious!
Jane Saunders
Pretty much – once opened it doesn’t last long. Thanks Annie.
sara | bellyrumbles
Peaches scream summer to me, so much a part of my growing up. Love the look of your jam and will keep it in mind when summer rolls around again in the Southern Hemisphere.
Jane Saunders
It won’t be long – we are almost at Mid-Summer’s Day!