Peach Pepper Jam

Peach pepper jam in a glass jar with a spoon resting on top.

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4.42 from 24 votes

Sweet and spicy peach pepper jam - a versatile spicy jam recipe! Recipe makes 8 half pint jars.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Setting Time6

Total Time6 50

Course: Jam recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 22kcal

Author: Cheryl Bennett

Equipment

Ingredients

2 lbs. peaches peeled, pitted, and finely chopped (about 4 cups), weigh after chopping
1 cup red bell pepper finely diced (about 1 large pepper)
3 large jalapeño peppers roughly 1 cup, (substitute 1 cup Hatch chilies - roasted, peeled and diced)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice freshly squeezed, not bottled
1 pkg. sure-jell, low sugar 1.75 oz *see note
3 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Sterilize 8 half pint jars and lids (or 16 - 4 oz. jars). Keep warm until ready to use.
Set up canning pot with rack and enough water to cover jars by 2 inches. Heat water in canning pot to a simmer so it will be ready to boil when you are ready to seal jars.
In an 8 qt pot, combine peaches, peppers, lemon juice and vinegar on high heat. Stir to combine. Stir in pectin and bring to a full boil (rolling boil).
While jam is coming up to a boil, remove jars from water and set them on a kitchen towel to drain and dry out.
When mixture has come up to a boil, add sugar all at once, and stir constantly for ONE minute at a rolling boil. (If your jam looks REALLY runny, reduce heat to medium high and continue cooking for 5 minutes or so until it has thickened slightly)
Remove from heat.
Place a funnel into a canning jar and ladle hot jam into jars. Wipe rims and threads with a clean, wet cloth to clean any drips. Cover with lids and bands, tightening bands to "fingertip tight" *see note below*
Place jars in rack and lower into water bath. Bring water to a boil (it doesn't have to be a full, rolling boil, but it does need to be boiling). Process jars for 10 minutes to seal.
Remove jars from water bath, place on kitchen towel to cool. You should hear them "ping" in a few minutes. Check seals by pressing on the middle of the lid.
*If the lid pops back up after being pressed, the jar isn't sealed and must be refrigerated. If it doesn't, it is properly sealed!

Notes

Fingertip tightened: The bands should be tightened enough to keep the lid in place, but not so tight that you have to really work to get it off. There should be just a little wiggle room.
WHY? To let the air escape! Otherwise, if the air can't get out, a proper seal can't form. We are essentially creating a vacuum. Kitchen Science!

I've made this jam with both regular and low sugar pectin. It has worked with both varieties.

Originally, I used Hatch chilies in this recipe, but jalapeños are more widely available, so I swapped them out on this latest update. When Hatch chilies are in season, use them! It makes a delicious jam too!

As the jam cools, give it a gentle turn upside down a few times to help distribute the pieces of pepper and peaches more evenly. When the jam is still very hot, they will float to the top. As it cools, and thickens, you can give them a gentle shake to help them settle all the way through the jam.

Jam generally takes a few hours to set. If your jam isn't set right away, DON'T PANIC. This batch took about 6 or 7 hours until it was properly set. Sometimes, it can take even longer.

Nutrition