Canning Vanilla Peach Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you leave the skin on peaches when making jam? ›

Once peaches become very ripe, the skin sometimes releases easily without needing to blanch them, and they can be peeled the same way. If this doesn't work, consider leaving the skin on, which when cooked down become very soft and completely blend in.

Today I made peach jam out of canned peaches. You can use almost any fruit. The fruit can be fresh, frozen or canned. Most of the time I make strawberry jam with frozen berries, but today I needed jam (dad has toast every morning with jam) and I was almost out.

While it may seem like extra work, there are good reasons why we blanch peaches for canning. It firms the flesh, increases flavor, and loosens the skin for peeling. Peel peaches: When cool enough to handle, remove peaches from water.

Low-acid peaches – Use hot-pack method. When jars are filled, add ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 2 teaspoons lemon juice per pint. Process as indicated in hot pack instructions. Scald, peel and slice peaches.

You don't HAVE to peel the peaches to can them, that's just how most people prefer them.

This is a process of color loss and does not mean the jam or jelly is going bad. The browning starts at the top of the jar and slowly works its way down. If your jars were properly sealed and the seal is still intact, the jam or jelly, although not as pretty as it once was, is safe to eat.

There are two ways you can can peaches: the hot pack or the raw pack method. When you are hot packing peaches, you are cooking the peeled & pitted peaches in the syrup before canning them. This will release some of the air the peaches have which will prevent them from floating and browning over time.

A: For best quality, it is recommended that all home-canned foods be used within a year. Most homemade jams and jellies that use a tested recipe, and have been processed in a canner for the recommended time, should retain best quality and flavor for up to that one year recommended time.

Canning peaches produces jars of peeled and halved peaches for your pleasure. Canning maintains (most) of the fresh taste and does not have as much added sugar, so they're naturally much healthier.

Why are my canned peaches mushy? ›

First and foremost, you must use a canning peach for processing. If you use a free-stone peach, it will turn mushy. I only use Baby Gold #5 variety for my canning. Year after year I continue to get great results from these peaches, even after they have been stored in my cantina for well over 12 months.

Firm fruit has less air trapped in it than soft, ripe fruit. It also absorbs less liquid during the canning process. You may see a little fruit float when you take the jars out of the canner; do not despair. Over time as the fruit absorbs the sugar syrup, the fruit will sink in the jar.

Peaches may be canned in sugar syrup, juice or water. Suitable juices are apple, orange and pineapple. Peaches canned with syrup will hold their shape better.

Peaches may be covered with your choice of sugar syrup, water, or apple or white grape juice. Sugar is not needed for safety in canning fruit; but in addition to adding flavor, sugar in the liquid helps to keep the texture of the fruit firm and preserve the color.

Sugar is definitely added for and too taste. If you prefer less, then by all means use less using a light syrup rather than heavy, or possibly even none. But, one of the purposes of sugar in canned fruit is for texture. Canned fruit in light syrup will deteriorate in texture more quickly that in heavy syrup.

For perfect pie filling, be sure to buy peaches at the peak of ripeness; the skin should easily bruise with the lightest amount of pressure. Many bakers prefer to remove the skins from peaches when using them for pie filling, as some find the skin's texture unpleasant and are put off by its slightly bitter flavor.

Your jam may taste bitter because it's over-cooked. Sometimes overcooked jam can be a good thing, as it has a nice caramel flavor that will work well used in desserts. However, if it's really overcooked the sugar will give it a bitter burnt taste.