Easy Peach Jam Recipe Without Pectin (30-Minute Homemade)

Why This Recipe Works

This easy homemade peach jam recipe without pectin is actually improved by keeping the peach skins intact. Unlike traditional recipes that require blanching and peeling, keeping the skins provides essential natural pectin for proper setting while adding vibrant color, rich peachy flavor, and beneficial fiber and nutrients.

With this small-batch approach, your no-pectin peach jam sets more quickly, requiring less cooking time than conventional methods. The result? A brighter, fresher-tasting jam that perfectly captures authentic summer peach flavor!

You might also enjoy this top-rated 30-Minute No-Pectin Strawberry Jam or this mixed fruit Apricot-Strawberry Jam.

Why You Can Trust This Homemade Peach Jam Recipe

Teaching jam-making and food preservation at The Broadway Panhandler in NYC, was a highlight. Seeing how excited people were when they realized they could make their own healthier, homemade peach jam (and other fruit jams) was rewarding.

This simple recipe was a crowd favorite for beginners learning to can and preserve and helped build their confidence to start making their own wholesome, homemade preserves. The most common reaction from first-time jam makers? Complete surprise (sometimes shock) at how quick and easy the process actually is.

This small-batch peach jam recipe is perfect for beginners (making just about a pint), making it easy to start your own home canning journey without much investment. So if you're feeling hesitant about making homemade jam, don't be - this is a tried and true tested jam recipe I use regularly!

Why You'll Love This Peach Jam Recipe

• Quick & easy jam recipe uses just 3 ingredients and 30 minutes of your time
• Small batch peach jam recipe perfect for beginners (makes just about a pint)
• Choose your storage method: refrigerator, freezer, or water bath canning
• A reduced sugar jam recipe that uses around 40% less sugar than commercial jams for pure peach flavor but still perfectly sweet and delicious
• No pectin needed - saves money and uses natural fruit pectin instead
• Less work - no need to blanch or peel peaches, unlike most recipes
• No skimming required - foam disappears naturally as it cooks
• Makes the perfect homemade food gift
• Great way to preserve summer peaches for year-round enjoyment
• 100% natural - no preservatives, thickeners, or artificial ingredients
• Works with fresh or frozen peaches when you can't find fresh
• Doubles easily when you have lots of peaches to preserve
• No need to add butter to reduce the foam

Healthier Homemade Peach Jam (Low Sugar Jam Recipe)

This homemade low sugar peach jam contains just 25.9% sugar compared to commercial varieties that pack in 40-70% sugar and is perfect for anyone looking for healthier jam alternatives. With a 1:3.87 ratio of sugar to fruit, you're getting more real peach flavor and fewer empty calories in every spoonful, and I promise, it's still plenty sweet!

Why This Recipe Is Better For You:

• Contains 40% less sugar than store-bought jams and preserves making this a healthy homemade jam you can feel good about you or your kids eating
• No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors typically found in commercial brands
• Higher fruit content means more nutrients and natural peachy flavor
• Keeps nutritious peach skins for added fiber, antioxidants, and natural pectin
• Customizable sweetness to suit your dietary preferences

The minimal ingredient list (just peaches, sugar, and lemon juice) creates a cleaner, more natural product that not only tastes better but supports healthier eating habits without sacrificing the joy of homemade preserves.

Peach Jam vs. Peach Preserves vs. Peach Marmalade: What's the Difference?

Understanding the differences between these fruit spreads can help you choose the perfect recipe for your needs. Here's everything you need to know about what sets each version apart:

1. Peach Jam (Marmellata di Pesche): Made with crushed or finely chopped peaches creating a smooth, spreadable consistency. Peaches are cooked until soft and broken down, resulting in a uniform texture perfect for spreading on toast or adding to pastries.
2. Peach Preserves: Features larger, identifiable chunks of fruit suspended in a thicker syrup. The peach pieces remain intact and visible, making preserves ideal for topping desserts or serving with cheese boards.
3. Peach Marmalade: Contains peaches plus citrus fruit peels (usually orange or lemon). The addition of citrus peels creates a distinctive bitter-sweet flavor and adds natural pectin. Traditional marmalade has a jellylike consistency with suspended fruit pieces.
4. Peach Butter: While not technically a jam, this slow-cooked spread has peaches cooked down until extremely smooth and concentrated. The result is a silky, intense peach flavor without added pectin, but its flavor is not as bright as with the other versions due to the longer cooking time.

Easy Peach Jam Ingredients

Fresh Peaches: Select just-ripe, slightly firm yellow peaches (freestone or clingstone) for the best jam. I sometimes use a mix of peach varieties for richer flavor - I prefer Italian yellow peach varieties that balance sweet and tart notes perfectly. Choose firmer fruit for better natural pectin content, which helps achieve the perfect set without adding commercial pectin. Avoid overripe or mushy fruit which lacks texture and natural pectin.

I've used two Italian yellow peach types, balancing sweet and tart for a rich "peachy-peach" taste. Firmer fruit is crucial for natural jam without pectin. This careful selection ensures a perfect homemade jam that gels properly. *See below for the Ultimate Peach Selection Guide

Sugar: Regular granulated sugar or pure cane sugar both work beautifully. This recipe uses about 40% less sugar than commercial jams, letting the natural peach flavor shine through while still achieving a proper set.

Fresh lemon juice: Key for natural pectin and proper setting. Skip bottled lemon juice which often contains preservatives and artificial lemon flavoring that can overpower the natural delicate peach taste. Fresh lemon juice also helps preserve the jam's bright color.

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Peach Jam Step-By-Step Recipe (With Photos)

Here in Italy peach jam is called "marmellata di pesche"(pronounced mar-meh-lotta dee pesk-keh) in Italian. And every summer I make several jars to use for our favorite peach crostata or to slather on toast, bagels, or waffles! If you love peaches, I think you'll love this recipe. Here's how easy it is:

Step 1. Wash, pit, and dice, or slice your peaches. No need to peel them - the skin adds beautiful color and extra nutrients! Use a food processor to speed up the process if you want.

Step 2. To a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, add the diced (or sliced) peaches, sugar, and lemon juice. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely and the juices are released.

Step 3. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or burning.

Step 4. The jam is ready when it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. You can also do the "plate test" by placing a small amount on a chilled plate - it should wrinkle when pushed with your finger.

Step 5. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to clean heatproof jars. Allow the jam to cool completely before using, or sealing and refrigerating, and freezing, Enjoy!

A Note About Foam and Skimming

Unlike traditional peach jam recipes that require skimming foam or adding butter, there's no need with this no-pectin peach jam recipe. The natural cooking method eliminates foam completely as shown in the photos. Traditional jam-making often involves skimming foam (which reduces your overall yield) or adding butter to prevent foaming (unnecessarily introducing dairy).

For clear jellies like the plum and grape varieties my family made growing up, these steps might be necessary, but for this easy recipe, you can skip these extra steps entirely. If you do encounter any bubbles after filling your jars, use a chopstick to pop them – though I've never needed to!

Ultimate Peach Selection Guide for Perfect Homemade Jam

Best Peach Varieties for Jam-Making

Clingstone Varieties:

Clingstone peaches are juicier than freestone and higher in natural pectin content making them ideal for peach jam, but they're more work to peel). Here are my recommended clingstone peaches for making jam.

• Honey Babe: Small, concentrated flavor, excellent for no-pectin recipes
• Indian Blood: Distinctive color and aroma, exceptional "peachy" flavor
• June Gold: Early season option with bright acidity

Freestone Varieties:

Freestone peaches are the easiest for processing and plenty sweet, but are less juicy than clingstone peaches. Here are some recommended freestone peaches for making jam:

• Elberta: High natural pectin, rich flavor, excellent set
• Red Haven: Balanced sweetness, holds color well
• O'Henry: Late-season variety with intense flavor concentration

Semi-Freestone or Semi-Cling Varieties (the best of both worlds):

White Peach Varieties Vs. Yellow Peach Varieties

White peaches have less acidity and are sweeter than yellow peach varieties making them great for bellinis and baking, but less so for making peach jam. You can use a combination of white and yellow peaches for a great combination peach jam.

Identifying Perfect Peach Ripeness

Optimal Stage: Firm-ripe peaches at "just-ripe" stage contain more pectin than overripe fruit and are perfect for classic peach jam.

Visual Indicators:

• Golden-yellow to blush pink background color (not green)
• Slight give when gently pressed
• No wrinkled skin or mushiness (this would indicate the peaches are too ripe for canning)

Fragrance Test: Ripe peaches emit a strong sweet fragrance at the stem end.

Touch Test: Peaches should yield slightly to gentle palm pressure without feeling soft.

When to Use Skin-On Peaches vs. Peeled

Skin-On Advantages:

• Higher natural pectin content helps jam set without added pectin
• Additional fiber and nutrients
• Enhanced color and visual appeal
• Time-saving preparation

When to Peel:

• For ultra-smooth preserves
• When using white peaches for clearer color
• When serving those with texture sensitivities

Seasonal Peach Buying Guide

You can make fresh peach jam any time they're in season, but if you want to plan ahead here are a few tips on what types of peaches are available during their growing season.

• Early Season Peaches (June): Firmer, more acidic varieties ideal for structured preserves
• Mid Season Peaches ( July): Perfect balance of sugar and acid for traditional jam
• Late Season Peaches (August): Sweeter varieties requiring additional acid (lemon juice)

Sourcing Tips

• Farmers Markets: Purchase "seconds" (cosmetically imperfect and perfectly delicious) at reduced prices
• Orchards: U-pick options offer freshest fruit at 30-40% lower cost (When I visit my sister in South Carolina we visit Black's Peaches where they've been in business for 100 years
• Commercial Sources: Look for "fresh-frozen" peaches when fresh are unavailable

Peash Storage Before Processing

• Counter Ripening: 1-2 days in single layer at room temperature
• Refrigeration: Slow ripening by refrigerating firm peaches for up to 5 days
• Quick Preservation: Freeze sliced peaches tossed with a little lemon juice if unable to process them immediately (lemon juice helps them from browning)

Quantity Planning (How Many Pounds of Peaches to Buy)

It's important to plan ahead before peach season starts to determine how much peach freezer jam you want to make. Here's a rough guide to determine how many jars you'll need and pounds/kgs of peaches to buy:

Based on this recipe with 580g (1.28 pounds) of peaches yielding approximately 12-16 here's how to plan:

• Yield Guide: 1.3 pounds peaches = approximately 1 cup (8 oz) of finished jam
• Small Batch: 1-2 pounds ideal for beginners and recipe testing
• Large Batch: 6-8 pounds maximum recommended for consistent results

Your recipe's ratio works out to roughly 1 pound of peaches yielding 6-7 oz of finished jam.

Peach Jam Substitutions

• Light Brown Sugar: You can substitute light brown sugar for regular sugar. I personally don't use it because I think its notes of caramel and molasses take away from the fresh summer peach flavor.
• Lime juice: In a pinch, lime juice can work too, though it will slightly alter the flavor.
• Frozen Peaches: If peaches aren't in season, use thawed, drained frozen peaches. To compensate for lost pectin (which is mostly found in skin of peaches), you can add a Granny Smith apple peel while cooking (although it's not totally necessary). This boosts natural pectin without altering flavor, helping the jam gel more quickly and better.

Peach Jam Variations

• Large Batch Peach Jam Without Pectin: If you want to double or triple this small batch peach jam recipe to make a large batch, use a copper jam pot (see photos of my Matfer Bourgeat Copper Jam Pan above). A copper jam pots can accommodate larger jam recipes with its wide surface area and better heat conductivity which helps evenly and more quickly cook the mixture without scorching it. Jam pots also cool down more quickly. If you don't have a jam pot, use a shallow stainless steel sauté pan which will work if you just want to double this recipe.
• Spiced Peach Jam: Add a cinnamon stick or a few cloves while cooking for a warm, spiced peach jam flavor.
• Peach Vanilla Jam: Scrape in the seeds of a vanilla bean for a flavor twist or use vanilla bean sugar to sweeten the jam.
• Ginger Peach Jam: Add in a couple of slices of fresh ginger while the jam is cooking and remove before filling the jars. Alternatively, add powdered ginger to taste.
• Boozy Peach Jam: Stir in a tablespoon of bourbon or rum at the end of cooking for an adult version (bourbon peach jam or rum peach jam).
• Orange-Peach Jam: Add the zest of ½ an orange to the jam as it cooks for a zesty citrus flavor.
• Lemon-Peach Jam: dd the zest of ½ a lemon to the jam as it cooks for a zesty citrus flavor.

Must-Have Peach Jam Making Equipment

• Medium heavy-bottomed pot or copper jam pot (the heavy bottom keeps the jam from scorching as is common in cheaper pots with less consistent heat conductivity)
• Wooden spoon or large stainless steel spoon to stir the jam as it cooks
• Silicone spatula for scraping every last ounce of jam out of the pot
• Clean canning jars (for peach freezer jam, you can use repurposed glass jars - no need to buy new canning jars)
• Ladle to transfer jam into the jars

Nice to have equipment, that makes the process much easier, but is 100% totally not necessary to have:

• Widemouth Canning Funnel for transferring jam into the jars
• Digital Candy Thermometer (useful for accuracy, but with this recipe you won't need one if you follow the directions and gram measurements precisely)
• Copper jam pot (for making large batch peach jam)
• Jar lifter (used to remove hot jars from the hot water bath when canning jams for longterm storage (shelf stable) jams)

Peach Jam Storage

Store homemade peach jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year. Give it a good stir before using!

I use glass canning jars for my freezer jam because they work beautifully (and I try to avoid using plastic whenever possible to avoid microplastics) just be sure to leave ½ inch of headspace for the jam to expand as it freezes without breaking the jar.

Alternatively, you can process the jars in a water bath for a shelf-stable jam that lasts even longer. See instructions below for how to do this!

3 Reliable Ways to Test if Your Peach Jam is Set Properly

Temperature Test: (most accurate method) Use a candy thermometer to ensure the peach jam reaches 220°F (at sea level) and adjust for higher altitude (-2°F per 1000 ft above sea level).

Spoon Test: (my favorite method) Dip a room-temperature metal spoon into the jam and when you see two drips coming off the spoon instead of one drip, the jam is ready. Also, it will coat the back of a spoon and when you swipe a finger through it, the swiped area should remain clean without any sauce dripping down into the "clean" just-swiped area. *Watch the How to Make Strawberry Jam (without pectin) video over here to see exactly what I'm talking about!)

Cold Plate Test: (my least favorite method) Place a small plate in freezer before starting the recipe. When you think your jam is ready, test it by dropping a spoonful of hot jam onto the cold plate. Wait 30 seconds and run your finger through the jam - if it wrinkles and doesn't flow back together, it's ready.

Sheet Test: Dip a cold metal spoon into the hot jam and let it fall back into pot, when it falls in sheets rather than drops, the jam is ready.

Peach Jam Serving Suggestions

If you're wondering how to serve or what to serve homemade peach jam with, here are some of our favorite (delicious) ways:

• Spread it on toast, English muffins, or pancakes, or warm croissants
• Make a peach jam PB&J (peanut butter and peach jam sandwich)
• Use it as a filling for thumbprint cookies or jam tarts like Italian crostata
• Swirl it into yogurt or oatmeal for a sweet fruity breakfast
• Pair it with cheese on a charcuterie board - it's especially good with brie or goat cheese
• Use it as a glaze for grilled chicken, whole hams, or pork chops
• Warmed on the stove and brushed on top of a fresh fruit tart (to make the fruit shiny)

How to Can Peach Jam Using the Hot Water Bath Method

If you plan to make shelf-stable peach jam without pectin you'll need to adjust the amount of sugar and lemon juice you use and use a hot water bath to process and seal them once you've filled the jars. Here's how to use this recipe to do that!

1. Increase the amount of sugar to at least ½ cup for every 1 lb of peaches and use at least ½ teaspoon of lemon juice for every lb of peaches.
2. Once the jam is made according to the directions, fill hot sterilized canning jars with peach jam leaving ¼ inch headspace at the top. Wipe the rims clean using a wet towel, add hot lids and bands, and close the jars just until "fingertip tight". Do not overly tighten the jars. *see photo below
3. Place filled jars in a canner with rack (or a large pot with rack or tea towel-lined bottom). Boil water; process 8 oz or pint jars for 10 minutes. Remove with jar lifter; place jars upside-down on the counter. Leave undisturbed overnight or at least 8 hours. Check the seal when turned right-side up. If any are unsealed, refrigerate or freeze the jam.

3 Ways to Sterilize Jars For Making Homemade Peach Jam

There are three simple and effective methods for properly sterilizing canning jars to ensure your homemade jams, jellies, and preserves are safe for long-term storage (shelf stable).

Boiling Water Bath Method:

1. Thoroughly wash jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water.
2. Rinse well to remove all soap residue.
3. Place jars upright in a large pot and fill with water until the jars are covered by at least 1 inch.
4. Bring the water to a rolling boil and boil the jars for 10 minutes.
5. Reduce heat and keep jars in the hot water until ready to fill, removing one at a time as needed using tongs or a jar lifter.
6. For the lids, place them in a separate saucepan off to the side, cover with water, and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Keep lids in the hot water until ready to use, removing with tongs or a lid lifter.

Oven Method:

1. Preheat oven to 225°F/107°C. Wash and rinse jars thoroughly.
2. Place clean jars upright on a large baking sheet, allowing space between each jar for heat circulation.
3. Place the baking sheet of jars in your preheated oven and heat for at least 20 minutes.
4. Keep jars warm in the oven until you're ready to fill them to prevent shocking them and breakage.

Dishwasher Method:

Run the jars through a cycle using hot water and heated drying and keep jars hot until ready to fill to prevent shocking them and breaking.

Additional Sterilizing Tips:

• Always start with clean jars that are free from nicks, cracks, or chips.
• Use a jar lifter or tongs to safely handle hot sterilized jars and prevent burns.
• Sterilize a few extra jars beyond what your recipe requires, just in case your jam yields more than expected or you have a jar that doesn't seal properly.
• Resist the urge to sterilize jars too far in advance. Mold spores can re-enter warm jars as they sit and cool down. Ideally, fill sterilized jars while they are still warm.

With these techniques, you can safely prep your jars for all your summer preserving projects. Clean, sterilized jars are one of the keys to safely canning jams, jellies, and other homemade goodies so you can enjoy them all year long!