Peach Freezer Jam-Freshest Tasting Jam With No Canning!
My mother made the most delicious freezer jam when we were little. It was a tradition at our house that everyone had to have freezer jam whenever she made her homemade sourdough bread. Sometimes we’d toast the bread and sometimes we’d just slather it on while it was still warm from the oven. A good, thick slathering as deep as you could manage without it spilling over the sides of the bread!
I really enjoy canning jams and fruit butters, but they just don’t compare in taste to the freshness you get from making freezer jam. They can’t hold a candle in ease, either!
Freezer jam is a method of making jam that doesn’t involve cooking the fruit and as a result, it is about as close as you can get to the fresh taste of just picked peaches, strawberries, or whatever other fruit you happen to be graced with.
The canning process for freezer jam is the easiest of all. Wash your jars, fill them, let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then place in freezer. That’s it! Keep a jar in your fridge to use and just grab another one out of the freezer when you need more.
For instructions on traditional canning to use with other jam and preserve recipes, see my canning post by clicking here. (I also had a lot of fun with a video on that post!)
You’re going to need: Sugar, peaches,and Sure-Jell or some other fruit pectin used for making jams and jellies.
Note: I am using the instructions on my package of Sure Jell for this tutorial. Your fruit pectin will have instructions inside so if you get a different brand you might want to double check and make sure they match up with mine.
Or just make it easy on yourself and grab this yellow box.
You’re also going to need a little lemon juice. You can either get an actual lemon or just buy the bottle.
Remember when you are buying your juice and sugar for this, the cheapest they have is just fine.
Peel and slice up your peaches.
Having a really sharp paring knife around the kitchen is essential. If you’ve had problems peeling fruits or veggies in the past, it was more likely your knife rather than your own lack of skill! I have five or six really good paring knives and I just couldn’t live without those things!
Here are my peaches,all cut up.
These are white peaches from my mother’s tree.
Now we’re going to moosh them up really good with a potato masher.
It is amazing how many uses this thing has! If you don’t have one, you can use a fork and it will just take a bit longer.
Peaches, all mashed up!
This procedure is the same for strawberry freezer jam and most others. I’ve only made strawberry and peach but the package has instructions for many other kinds as well (apricot, blueberry, cherry, mango, raspberry, etc). Some types of fruit will need more sugar but the exact amounts are listed on a chart inside the package.
Measure out your sugar into a large bowl.
And then measure out three cups of fruit.
There might be some left that you don’t use. You’re just gonna have to eat that. ~grins~
I know, it’s a tough job.
Add lemon juice
Stir that up well and let sit for about ten minutes so the sugar can dissolve.
Meanwhile, place water in a saucepan (exact amounts below) and pour in Sure Jell.
Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil for one minute.
Pour into fruit.
Stir that up well.
I always love my action shots 
.
Set up your station of clean jars, a cup to pour the jam in with, lids, and a wet paper towel or dish cloth.
I LOVE my canning funnel but you don’t have to use one (it’s the red thing). You can just pour and wipe off the excess but the funnel cost a dollar or two and is well worth the investment if you can find one.
If you are planning on canning this season, I strongly suggest getting all of your supplies now because they become more and more difficult to find as the summer wears on.
Pour your fruit into the jars, leaving one inch of space between the fruit and the top.
This is known as “head space”.
Repeat until you get all of your jam in jars.
Note: nine times out of ten, a recipe will tell you it makes a certain amount of jars and it will always be more. This recipe said it would make six jars and I have eight. So be prepared with extra jars for convenience sake.
Wipe around the top and side threads of each jar with a wet paper towel.
This is to remove any sticky fruit that may have spilled onto it and ensure your jar seals properly.
If you skip this step, it will always tell on you because people will need a vice like grip to get the jar open later. I’ve had this happen the first time I canned and it was very embarrassing knowing that I had ignored my Grandmother’s wisdom on this.
Place a lid on each jar and then seal it with a ring (the part that screws on).
Let sit at room temperature for twenty four hours.
After that time has passed you can put some in the fridge to begin using immediately and store the rest in the freezer.
Note: Freezer Jam cannot be stored at room temperature.
You will now be rewarded for your efforts with the FRESHEST tasting peach jam you’ve ever had in your life!
Peach Freezer Jam
- 2 lbs peaches (enough to make 3 cups of mashed peaches)
- 4 1/2 C Sugar
- 1 Box Sure Jell (can use other brand but check their instructions)
- 2 T Lemon Juice
Peel and slice peaches. Mash up with potato masher or fork. They will be lumpy but that is okay. Measure out sugar in large bowl. Measure three cups of peaches and add to sugar. Add lemon juice. Stir well and sit aside so sugar can dissolve.
In sauce pot, place 3/4 C Water. Add fruit pectin (Sure Jell). Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Pour into fruit mixture. Stir well until all sugar is dissolved.
Pour into clean 8 ounce jars (or plastic containers of choice) and leave 1 inch head space (instructions on package say leave 1/2 inch but most recipes say leave one so I go with tradition here). Using a damp paper towel, wipe around rim and sides of jar to remove any residue. Place lids on jars and let sit at room temperature for twenty four hours. After that time, place in freezer until ready to use. Store opened jars you are using in the fridge.
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchill. To submit your quote (or read others that will encourage you) click here.
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Aug 2 2009. Filed under Sauces/Other.
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So, say I have a PLUM tree in my backyard… and am overrun with yellow plums… same instructions?
Sure is,but for plums you also need to add a bit more sugar or 1 cup of light corn syrup
.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/mcp-plum-freezer-jam-62477.aspx
This is the link to the recipe for plums on Kraft’s website. Kraft makes Sure-Jell. I’ve gotten to meet several folks who represent Kraft and it is a very family oriented company from what I’ve seen
Gratefully,
Christy
Thank you Christy!
You are most welcome, Thank YOU Kim!
Ok, I am going to have to make this freezer jam. But I would simply love your mothers recipe for home made sourdough bread to put it on. Love your stories as much as the recipes.
Yes Ma’am, I’ll get on that one. I have needed to have it up here for a while now. It may be in the cookbook, too. I’ll check on it!
Gratefully,
Christy
Looks REALLY good. Got some tasteless unripe peaches at the local Walmart last week but the plums were great. I looked at some webpages for getting peaches to ripen off the tree but what would you suggest?
Bill, if no one else has told you, put the peaches or other fruit in a brown paper sack for several days. I always do this as I try to buy hard and/or part green. This way they arent ripe all at same time. Anyway, check after three days and then continue to check them daily. They should all ripen a6 same time.
Sue
~looks to Bill as she listens to Su and nods~ Yeah Bill,what she said
.
You know what was funny? A magazine from a noted farm supply company just published a suggestion that you cover EVERY SINGLE peach on your tree with a quart sized zipper bag in order to keep pests off of them.
My mother and I got a big kick out of that. Her tree has produced hundreds of peaches so far this year and we were just imagining us trying to cover each one with a bag! Yeah, kinda off topic but isn’t that my trademark? ~grins~
Gratefully,
Christy
Christy, I think you just got “Sue” and “Su” mixed up. lol
But Sue’s suggestion is spot on, the brown paper bag works.
Oops!
I sure did! Lol
sorry, me and that whole “sleep” thing haven’t been getting along lately
~Christy, who woke up at 4:30 am to check her email….
Christy,
I’ve found that most jelly/jam/preserve recipes are too sweet for our tastes. Could we adjust the sugar – say like go down to 3 or 3.5 cups – and still come out with a safe product? Thnks!
Hey Jan! I am so with ya on the sweetness thing!
Actually, there is a fruit pectin (a few as a matter of fact) on the market that requires little or no sugar. I made some peach jam last night with it. In place of the water, you boil your pectin in some apple juice and then you can add splenda or sugar to taste or leave it entirely unsweetened if you like.
If you use less sugar with regular pectin, the product will not set up properly but if you get the sugar free or low sugar pectin it will work out just fine and enable you to tailor it to your own family’s taste. These products are really easy to find nowadays and they will be right next to the regular pectin
.
I bet you’d really enjoy them, I sure have!
Gratefully,
Christy
Thank you! I have made strawberry freezer jam but never peach! Will be trying it this week!
Bountiful blessings!
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh how I love strawberry freezer jam!
I ate all of my strawberries this year though!
~looks guilty and then cracks a giggle~ I enjoyed that, too!
Gratefully,
Christy
Christy, I LOVE your site. The stories, the recipes, the whole thing.
When making freezer jam do you take the rings off the lids before you put them in the freezer?
Hey Cherry!! thank you so much. I LOVE you reading my site!!!
I don’t take the rings off. You are absolutely right though, anytime you can something you can take the rings off because the lids are sealed on. With freezer jam though, you aren’t actually heating the lids and jars so they may seal but it’s kind of a toss up. I just leave my rings on.
Now you can also use plastic jars or containers if you like. Glass jars are just most convenient for me.
I hope this helps!! Thank you, Cherry! (LOVE your name)
Gratefully,
Christy
Thanks so much for the info on freezing jam.. And by the way, yes, Cherry is my real legal name..Just like the fruit..And pity the poor soul that says Sherry..Does anyone see an S in my name?? LOL…I get that all the time. So nice to see someone say it right..Keep up the wonderful work. I’ve hooked several of my friends here in north GA on your site..
Cherry
Looks good to me. I think I might have to try this some time. I’ve always wanted to try canning or jarring. I’ve always seen the methods where u had to boil and all that jazz and I didn’t want to go through all that touble. Your method looks soooooooooo much easier! Thanks for all ur easy and cheap tips Christy! YOu have no idea how much of a blessing you are to us younge wifes and mothers! ^_^ Love ya <3!
Vickie
I love freezer jam. My faves are strawberry and peach. I love to mix it in homemade yogurt.
The frozen strawberry jam is wonderful on ice cream. Try it on waffles too. It is so simple to make and so much better than canned.
Gotta love those freezer jams!!
Ah, so easy! I tried to make your peach preserve last year and I burnt it!
Mango jam sounds so good. But it’s winter here so we don’t have all those yummy fruits at the moment.
I am so excited to get these instructions! I just found out today where I can get some fresh ripe peaches locally and have great plans for them! Thanks for sharin!
I’ve never tried making any kind of jelly/butter/jam – but I gotta try this!!! I’m sure my Mom will help me!!!! Or better yet….she can do it and give me some! Ha! So Mom if you are reading this…..
kim
Sounds wonderful! And easy too (perhaps that is what makes it seem so wonderful to me). No boiling jars and such – too much work and way too hot here (Charleston SC) for all that. My neighbor has a huge fig tree and always brings over more figs than we can eat. Wonder if I can make a fig freezer jam? Any idea?
Thanks for the great recipes and stories.
Stay cool.
Melanie
Oh my oh my oh my! Melanie, am I ever jealous of you! I love and adore figs but they are a very rare pleasure for me! My grandaddy and I used to go out and pick his fig tree clean whenever I visited him as a girl. We’d eat them all before we even came back in the house and then not say a word to anyone!
I am sure you can make fig freezer jam and I am sure it would be heavenly!! Just get the Sure Jell and the instructions should be the same as this. You might need less sugar though, if your figs are good and sweet.
Jealously,
Christy
~grins~
Interesting… I have never heard of freezer jam! I’ll keep this in mind if I ever have too much fruit on my hands! Now that I have a small deep freeze in the garage, I have room for it!
I was looking for a fried corn recipe to refresh my memory. My grandmother and mom fixed it quite a bit when I was young. I have added this site to my favorites. It’s wonderful. Love the stories, the humor, and the grins!
This is the recipe I use for my fried corn.
>usually a dozen ears of corn cut off the cob and milked (I have a slicer that cuts the corn off and milks the cob at the same time) the milk is very important.. if you don’t have this tool (not sure what it is called) but after cutting the corn off take a knife and scrape the cob to get the milk
>a stick of butter or margarine
>a heaping TBLSP bacon grease
> evaporated milk.. sometimes it just takes a half a can sometimes more..it depends on how much milk comes from the cobs.
>salt and pepper
>> mix all together, judging how much evp. milk. when it begins to boil reduce heat and cover..stir occasionally about 15-20 mins.
Hope this makes sense.. I couldn’t think of any other way to describe cutting the corn and milking it ..lol
Question: Does this jam have to be frozen? When my family made it many years ago it stood on the pantry shelves until we were ready to eat it (no freezer in those days). For the last four or five years my late wife and I made this jam essentially by this recipe and did not freeze it and it tasted just fine as we took opened a new jar every three or four weeks.
Any experts out there who can tell me what to do and what will happen if I do or don’t?
Thanks Tim
Hey Tim in the heart of NY!
I can help you!
A lot of folks used to make jams and such like this and not can it like we do nowadays. There was also a practice known as “open kettle” canning where you poured the hot liquid into your jars but didn’t process them in a boiling water bath. You just let the heat from the liquid seal the jars and then put them up. While neither of these methods killed you or I (I was taught to can using the open kettle method and I bet most other folks were also) Food Scientists now warn against them.
Botulism is a very serious concern whenever food is not properly canned and I’m afraid freezer jam kept at room temp is extremely dangerous.
This jam hasn’t been sterilized or cooked in any fashion so it’s really a problem waiting to happen if left at room temperature.
However, you can just store it all in the fridge and it will be good for quite some time refrigerated but freezing will give you the longest time to enjoy it.
I hope this helps! It’s always nice to dust that degree off so thank you for giving me that chance!
Gratefully,
Christy
I don’t think I made myself clear as to the process we use to make the jam: Crush the berries, bring them up to boil, add the sugar, bring the mix back up to boil (stirring continually), add the pectin, keep stirring at full boil for one minute, pour into sterilized jars, cap with the flexible lids and rings (the lids usually take from 15 minutes to an hour to “pop down” (seal)as the jars cool. Then store on shelves neither frozen or refrigerated for as long as desired. After opening (unscrewing the rings and unpopping the flexible lids), store in the refrigerator as the jam is used. This is the way we have done it. Is this the “Open Kettle” method you are describing? Thanks
Hey!
Yes yes yes, I misunderstood! I thought you were making freezer jam like this (no cooking at all of the fruit). I was actually trying to figure out how that would work! lol
Yes, what you are talking about is the open kettle method. My mother was using it herself until this year also. It normally works (like I said, we haven’t died yet!) but experts recommend against it now. However, all you have to do differently is once you are done with your usual process, place a dish towel in the bottom of a large pot and put your jars on top of it. Add enough water to cover the jars by one inch and bring to a good boil. Once it reaches a boil, put the lid on and boil for five minutes if they are 8 ounce jars, 10 if they are 16.
Then you’ve eliminated any risk whatsoever to your canning!
Having said all of this, my grandmother still does open kettle.
I use the open kettle method as well. I don’t boil my jars but maybe I’ll try it this year. Thanks for all the good info.
I’ve made jam before but it never quite came out so great…but with your instructions/photos, I’m hoping I can make a success out of this one. Otherwise, me and jam, we’re probably better off left in our own respective homes. ^_^
Hey cool idea with the pics. Idea!! When we can peaches we boil water and put the peaches in it (with the skins still on) and transfer them to ice water. The skins come off amazingly well. No peeling them with knives…works awesomely..
Hi Christy!
I love your recipes, and really want to make this. But I accidentally picked up powdered gelatin instead of pectin. Can I use gelatin for this?
Thank you!
I have just recently started canning. I need all the help I can get. Thank you, for the step by step instructions. Your page is very helpful.
I just saw this recipe this morning and couldn’t believe how easy freezer jam is to make! Peaches aren’t ripe yet, but strawberries are on sale $5 for 4 pounds (not bad for Alaska in early May, all the ice hasn’t even thawed from the ponds yet!). I bought my ingredients, then had the whole batch done in less than an hour! It tastes so good and isn’t even set up completely yet. I ended up buying Ball brand no cook, less sugar pectin. It only called for 1.5 cups sugar for 4 cups of strawberries. It tastes plenty sweet to us. I can’t wait for it to set up. I’m so glad I saw this recipe and will definitely make peach jam when the peaches are ripe!
I love peaches and plan to try this freezer jam! Every summer I make jam and try new recipes. Here’s one that I made about 6 batches of last summer and gave as gifts. The GM infuses and gives a subtle hint of flavor but does not overpower the blueberries.
Hugs,
Evelyn
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Blueberry-Grand-Marnier-Jam-41201
Hi Christy,
Thanks for the recipe…I just found it couple of days ago and tried it tonight. Well…instead of mashing up the peaches like you said, I pureed them to make the 3 cups. Now, looking back..I think that was wrong of me to do because the jam is now really liquidy and it looks like it won’t set. Any suggestions on how to save this batch?
Thanks!!
[...] Marie at Makes and Takes for her similar version. And Christy at Southern Plate for Peach Freezer Jam. And Blueberry Freezer Jam at Tablespoon. Like this post? Print, email or [...]
I am trying my hand at freezer jam with peaches. Just picked some up in SC and they are amazing.
I saw a post earlier, like back in august of 09 for fried corn. I want to freeze corn the way I cut it off the cob for my fried corn but wasn’t sure how to do it.
Now my question about freezing the corn is … do I freeze it just after cutting off the cob or prepare it as if I’m going to serve it and let it cool and then freeze it
I just started making fried corn this year. I am fixing as if I’m serving it and then freezing it. However, my grandmother does it both ways and just writes on the bag which type it is.
We actually do fried corn a little differently. We don’t use the butter or the bacon grease (I can hear all your gasps! LOL!) We actually just fry up some fatback and use that grease to fry the corn. I’m gonna be getting some more corn to freeze this weekend. One of the local stores has a coupon for 10 ears for $1!
I did it!!!!!
I’m so proud of myself. Not that I’m not a good cook, but canning seemed to be a daunting task. I live in ‘peach country’, so it is only right that I learn how to do this! I put up 7 pints of freezer (elberta) peach jam last night, and it took no more than 30 minutes. I had some on my toast thismorning and was quite impressed with myself. Thanks for your encouragement. (The GA peach crop has been especially good this year!)
WOW! I think I can manage this one. Sounds awesome and fun to try. I wish I had learned how to can when my grandmother was living but sadly I didn’t. I am going to try this asap! Thanks Christy!! You’re a sweetheart for sharing this
Christy,
Last summer when I was researching fig preserve recipes, I stumbled upon some information about the lemon juice. Apparently, the lemon is needed for the mixture to be a safe acidity–again with the botulism thing….anyway, the article stated that bottled lemon juice should always be used because the acidity is regulated (every brand, everywhere is the same acidity). They warned against using fresh lemon because lemons differ from variety to variety.
Going to the Raleigh, NC Farmer’s Market tomorrow with my mom to get peaches and tomatoes to can! WooHoo! Busy time of year!
I know I am a little late on this post, but how long will it keep in the freezer? (If it lasts that long, lol) Thanks, love the site!
Christy,
the jam looks so good! I already used this kind of pectin for freezer jam, but I had to ask for a friend to bring me some from the USA. I can not find this (either one) in Brazil. All the pectin I use is from overseas. I miss this so much, we used to make strawberry freezer jam! Don´t forget the taste! Cheers!
You are putting the glass Ball jars in the freezer, but I thought glass busted when left in the freezer too long? Am I just crazy for thinking that, or is it that the Ball jars are specifically made to handle the freezing temps and the high heat needed to boil/can? Love your recipes, I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site while searching Google for recipes!
Hi Lora ,
You can use the Ball jars in the freezer-they are made to withstand temperature changes (boiling and freezing). They also make plastic freezer jars which is what I have. They work great and you don’t have to worry about the kids breaking them when they rummage thru the freezer, looking for something “good” to eat! LOL!!
Christy, have you ever tried strawberries (or raspberries) mixed in with your peach jam? YUM!! I mix it half and half or you could go 2/3 peach and 1/3 strawberrry or raspberry. Then make it just like you normally would for peach. Really yummy!
Christy. I LOVE freezer jam, but I’ve tried it twice (once with strawberries and once with peaches) and both times it came out runny. I guess it didn’t “set up” right? HELP?
Christy, Why do you peel the peaches instead of dropping into boiling then into ice water? The peal slides right off and you don’t waste any of the peach.
I love your site. God Bless you & your family
I just made the lower sugar version of Peach freezer jam as described in the comments here and in the directions in the no sugar/less sugar Sure Jell package. I followed the directions to a tee. This afternoon marked the 24 hour mark and the jam just is not setting. In talking to my aunt who makes freezer jam ofter, she said she has always had trouble getting peach freezer jam to set. Are there any secrets? Anything special to take into consideration when doing peach freezer jam? thanks for any help.
[...] Southern Plate’s Recipe for Peach Freezer Jam fits the bill perfectly – doesn’t that look delicious! [...]
Since this is FREEZER jam, why are you wasting metal lids and bands when you can buy the “Ball” plastic lids. These lids are reusable for many years unlike the metal ones that will rust in the freezer. Just wondered…..
Well Carol, I guess because I haven’t ever seen the plastic ones. Now I am going to have to be on the lookout for them. I always have traditional ones on hand though, so it’s definitely not wasteful and I’ve never had a ring or lid rust. Am I lucky, or do we just eat it fast? The world may never know….
Rubbermaid works well also -especially if you have it on hand.
hmmmm – may have to try this. Never have tried canning before, but I think I could handle this.
It is easy Julie, you definitely can handle it!!
can you make freezer jam using PEARS?
You can make it using just about any fruit. Just follow the instructions on the package.
I curious if you’ve ever tried Stevia sweetener? We’re trying super hard to cut out as much sugar as we can.
Looks very, very yummy!
Oh, I need to try this recipe… looks like you were using white peaches, were you ?
I’ve never made jam with the white. It sure looks delicious.
The peach freezer jam I make calls for crushed pineapple and orange jello. It’s especially good on waffles with whipped cream.
Gotta go buy some peaches before they’re gone, and hope they still have white ones.
I second Jenny’s query. I have some Purevia sweetener I got free in a coupon deal
and have been experimenting with freezing whole peaches. Do you think the recipe would work with a frozen peach?
I have 2 trees coming in, a neighbor who offered me freezer space where I have my whole frozen peaches, and not a lot of time right now. if I could do this later would be good. My peaches are cling which increases the labor involved.
TY for great instructions