EST. 2011 BY LIZ RUEVEN
How to Make Old Fashioned Peach Jam the Easy Way
Photo : Liz Rueven

How to Make Old Fashioned Peach Jam the Easy Way

At  9:00 on a steamy summer Friday that was so hot that I had already downed three iced teas, the owner of Watsonia Farms pulled his refrigerated Carolina Peach Truck, neatly stacked with cases of fragrant southern Freestones, into the lot at Gilbertie’s.

peach jam
photo: Liz Rueven
peach jam
Photo: Liz Rueven

I was already salivating in anticipation of the cooling sweet taste of the south. And so began my first foray into making jam from organic, perfectly ripe, just harvested, fuzzy, wet and wonderfully messy, farm to table peaches.

peach jam
photo: Liz Rueven

Luckily, my gal-pal Elise, blogger at Much Ado About Stuffing, was a veteran jammer and suggested that we share a box (18 pounds of fruit equals about 50 peaches).  We gave the fruit a day to soften a bit more and got right to preserving this ultimate taste of summer by making pectin free jam together.

summer peach jam
photo: Liz Rueven

Making jam is EASY and fun.

Your home will smell divine (maybe better than Friday night chicken) and your family and friends will appreciate your efforts. The best part is that when fresh fruit is scarce in the winter and you’re yearning for a heaping spoonful of summer sunshine, you’ll have this jam to remind you that warmer days are coming.

summer peach jam
Photo: Liz Rueven
how to make summer peach jam
Photo: Liz Rueven

 About Canning:

The part that was daunting for me was the sterilization issue. I’ll keep the directions below very simple and advise that you check this blogpost from Taste of Southern for a detailed description of how to can safely. Safely is the key word here so please read Steve’s blogpost all the way through before you begin.

For the USDA’s complete guide to home canning, click here. Better safe than sorry so don’t be put off. Simply read through the appropriate section and get ready to make luscious peach jam. 

If you’d like to skip the sterilization you may refrigerate your jam in tightly closed jars for 3-4 weeks. Be sure to use clean dipping spoons to avoid contaminating your precious spread.

sterilize jam jars
photo: Liz Rueven
sterilize jam jars for homemade peach jam
Photo: Liz Rueven

If you want to buy South Carolina peaches straight from the source:

The refrigerated trailer rolls up the east coast from South Carolina twice a summer, making multiple, well publicized stops in towns between Boston and their home farm. For more on the Carolina Peach Truck’s schedule, friend them on facebook here.

If you’re in my neck o’ the woods, add yourself to Gilbertie’s Herbs and Garden Center to learn more about what they’re growing and all kinds of special events and classes, including when the Carolina Peach Truck will be rolling to a stop there again.

And closer to home, many states grow peaches. Be sure to check your farmers’ market and support local.

summer peach jam
Photo: Liz Rueven

If you’d like to make lip-smacking cherry jam click our link here. If you’d like more on how to preserve summer fruit, see Sherri Brooks Vinton‘s book, Put ‘Em Up! Fruit: A Preserving Guide and Cookbook.

Coming up:

Watch for recipes and a giveaway of of Emily Paster’s just released book, The Joys of Jewish Preserving.

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