Bourbon Peach Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between peach jam and peach jelly? ›

Jams and jellies are both soft, sweet spreads made from fruit, sugar and pectin. The main difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit whereas jelly is made with fruit juice.

Chop 1 pound unpeeled yellow peaches into 1/2-inch pieces

And while leaving the skins on the fruit for your jams and preserves is a personal choice, they recommend it for the color it lends the finished jam—and for the fact that the skin imparts more peach flavor.

Make the most of the short peach season to make this wonderful preserve! This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader. Usually when you make jam, you want to use slightly under-ripe fruit because that is when fruit has the highest amount of pectin in it. Pectin is a soluble fibre and the ingredient in fruit that thickens jam.

Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set). If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.

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.

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.

Yes, you can use frozen peaches to make peach jam! Substitute an equal amount of frozen fruit for fresh fruit in the recipe. Be sure to thaw the fruit to room temperature and don't drain the excess juice that is produced from the thawing process (use it in the jam).

Overcooked Jam: It's is harder to salvage overcooked jam. If the jam tastes scorched it's best just to throw it away and try again. If the jam isn't scorched but is too thick to use as jam, slowly heat it in the microwave with a little added water and use it as syrup.

Add pectin.

Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam. Test for thickness and add another tablespoon if needed.

An opened jar of jam or jelly will last for about six months in the refrigerator, per the USDA. But it's still a good idea to eat it as soon as possible, says Lee. "Once opened, jams and jellies will be exposed to air, which contain mold and bacterial spores.

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

With a simple lemon juice trick, your homemade jam will achieve your desired thick texture. Preparing jam is about capturing the sweet essence of the fruit while simultaneously cooking it down to the perfect syrupy consistency.

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

Clingstone. The pretty yellow peach flesh "clings" to the stone, and therefore the name. These are the earliest peaches to come in. Distinguished by their juiciness and sweet peach flavor, they lend themselves very well to jams, preserves and canning.

The main difference between the two is the form of fruit. Jelly is made using fruit juice, while jam is made using whole fruits that have been smashed or crushed. Because of this, jam can have seeds or pieces of fruit in it, while jelly has the fruit parts strained out of it.

While jam uses the whole fruit, jelly calls for just the essence — the fruit juice. Jelly has no seeds or fruit pulp in it, and is completely smooth in texture. When jelly is made, the fruit is crushed to extract the juice, which is then strained to keep all the pulp and seeds out.

Jam incorporates crushed or puréed fruit, giving it a more textured consistency. Drawing from our experience, this inclusion of whole fruit adds to its fiber and nutrient content, making it slightly better and healthier than jelly.

Yes, there is a difference in taste between jelly and jam. While both jelly and jam are fruit spreads, they differ in their texture and the presence of fruit pieces. Jelly: Jelly is made by extracting the juice from fruit and then straining it to remove any solids, such as seeds or pulp.