I’ll be darned if I let peach season slip away without squirreling away at least a few jars of something peachy.
Time was running out, so when a local farm announced a last-chance sale on pick-your-own peaches, I knew I had to act. Luckily, my husband is a good sport, and agreed to take me peach picking early one morning.
I was of the opinion that white peaches were an early season delicacy, and so was pleasantly surprised to arrive to a few rows of just-ripe white peaches. Sure we had to battle a few bugs, and literally squeezed hundreds of peaches to find enough ripe ones to take home. But we left with just over 16 pounds. For $8, I’d call that time well spent.
White peaches are naturally lower in acid, so they require the addition of lemon juice or other acid to safely can. Definitely don’t skip this. Marisa recommends 1 tablespoon of added lemon juice per finished pint, but I figured 2 or 3 couldn’t hurt. The lemon also gives the jam a nice bright finish that pairs beautifully with the aromatic vanilla.
Being that this particular recipe is a no-pectin jam, it requires a longer cook time, and thus has a lower overall yield: 2 pounds of peaches will give you almost exactly 2 half-pint jars, or 2 1/2 of the 6-ounce jars pictured above.
I also did a ginger version, adapting a basic recipe from a low-sugar pectin package. Because the cooking time is significantly less and there is more sugar in the recipe to begin with, the same 2 pounds of peaches gave me 5 jars of buttermilk-yellow jam.
Either way, white peaches make for extraordinary preserves. It’s late in the season I know, but if you can get your mitts on some, it’d be preposterous not to. Otherwise, stash this one away for next year.
Be sure to click through for the recipe and BONUS printable labels!
White Peach & Vanilla Jam
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds white peaches (about 5-6 large), peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large vanilla bean, split and seeded
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
Directions:
- In a bowl, combine peaches, sugar, vanilla seeds, lemon zest, and lemon juice (make sure it equals at least 3 tablespoons). Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to proceed, prepare canner and wash/sterilize 2 half-pint (or equivalent) mason jars. Keep jars in hot (not boiling) water until ready to use.
- Pour peach mixture into a large, heavy saucepan or skillet and place over high heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the peaches soften, the liquid reduces, and the whole mixture becomes quite thick and spreadable, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Ladle hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4-inch of head space. Wipe jar rims and threads. Screw on lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from water and let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. Check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.
Adapted from Food in Jars via Food52.
All images and text ©Lindsay Landis / Love & Olive OilDid you make this recipe?
Let us know what you think!
Leave a Comment below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #loveandoliveoil.
Bonus! Label time! Sure, you could use the Mix ‘n Match labels for your white peach jam (although I neglected to include White Peach in the lineup, d’oh!) But I think these chalkboard-inspired labels (in both vanilla and ginger varieties) contrast beautifully with the flaxen color of the preserves.
I’m offering these chalkboard jar labels to you, free for personal use. Simply download the printable file, then print onto full-sheet sticker paper (which can be purchased online at OnlineLabels.com or locally at most office supply stores). Cut out the rectangles and apply directly to the the finished jars. These labels should fit most standard mason jars, although if you can find smooth sided jars (ie ones without raised designs on them) that work the best. Curious about the hexagon jars I’ve used? I ordered them online at SKS Bottle (the 6oz size).
Disclaimer: Copyright Love & Olive Oil. For personal use only. If you post about or share these labels, please credit appropriately and do not link directly to the downloadable file but rather to this post. Please do not distribute these downloadable files. Thank you much!
Can you use vanilla extract?
I wouldn’t recommend adding any additional liquid to this recipe as it might affect the overall pH and therefore canning safety. I have not tested it with extract so I cannot say for sure.
Can you use vanilla bean paste? And if so how much?
Sure! I’d use a teaspoon or so here.
I just made two batches of this recipe with yellow peaches gifted to me by a colleague. Pleased to report this recipe works just as well with yellow peaches!
I’m not an expert jam-maker by any means, so I’m not sure if this recipe is suited to yellow peaches (which are more acidic) but holey moley, one this is for sure; the peach and vanilla flavour combination is a match made in heaven!
The peaches weren’t super fresh and were very juicy, so the mix wound up being a little on the runny side. To combat this I added chia seeds and viola! A perfectly spreadable jam.
This recipe is being book marked as my go-to peach jam!
Yes, yellow peaches can definitely be substituted for white – it’s the other way around that could cause problems for acidity. :)
So glad you enjoyed this!!
Delicious. We were loaded with white peaches this year. I made one batch be the recipe and the second batch I added lavender. That turned out great as well.
Hey that recipe looks amazing! How do you make those labels? I love that design but have no clue how to make those!
Every year, my mom goes to the Amish produce market with one of her friends and returns home with absurd amounts of fruit and vegetables. She fills up the entire back of our suburban, and comes home with delicious goodies. We always have loads or corn, tomatoes, and blackberries, but my personal favorite would have to be the fresh peaches. However, we have to act quickly or the peaches will go bad. We are always looking for new recipes to try out, and this jam looks delicious! I am really excited to try out the flavor combination of white peach and vanilla. This recipe is perfect to preserve the peaches so we can enjoy them year summer long!
Hi there! My name is Jessica, and I run a food blog called Floptimism where, every Saturday, I write a Weekend Wrap-Up post to share all of my favorite internet finds from the past week. I wanted to let you know that I absolutely loved both this post and the one about Chocolate PB Crunch Ice Cream (ok, maybe ESPECIALLY that second one…), so much so that I featured them both in my blog’s Weekend Wrap-Up. I’ve included the link to the post in case you’re interested. Thanks for such consistently fabulous recipes!
http://www.floptimism.com/2013/09/weekend-wrap-up-highlight-reel.html
I adore homemade jams, I can’t get enough :) this white peach & vanilla sounds delightful!
Worth the early morning picking. Nothing beats best of summer eats, jarred! Pinned :)
This is awesome! I never though of adding vanilla to Jam, such a great idea. Good job Lindsay.
This is such a stunning jam! I want this in my life!
Oh man.. I can’t! I love this!! I am a huge fan of homemade jams although I’ve never made any on my own but it’s definitely a big buy for me when I visit the Amish or see any homemade ones in general (especially if they are reduced in sugar). I love the idea for combining Peach and vanilla. Perfect combo!
Photos are gorgeous as always. Everything from the flavor combination to the canning and labels is lovely.
The jam turned out beautifully! I can only imagine how great it must smell! :)
This jam is gorgeous and I can just imagine how heavenly the peaches and vanilla bean are together!
Such a beautiful recipe! White peaches… GOOD white peaches, are so delicious, aren’t they! I can see why you would wish to preserve them. Thank you for sharing.
Lindsay, I think I see the next book theme? You have been doing lots of jamming over at your place and it all looks fabulous. When white peaches are good they are very good aren’t they? Beautiful as always.
Yet another amazing looking jam! I wish I could find that good of a deal on peaches, they haven’t gone below $1.99 at my grocery store, which is just ridiculous!
I had bad experience tonight making a spiced white peach jam. After cooking more than an hour it still wasn’t thick and started to scorch. It seemed like too much liquid to start. I currently have your recipe in the fridge, afraid to take it to the cooking step. What does leaving it overnight actually do? Doesn’t leaving the peaches sit make more juice, thus putting me back into the same dilemma? It does taste good so far.
First of all, be sure you don’t double this recipe. The fact that it is a very small batch is why it works without pectin. Use a large pan or skillet with as much surface area as possible too.
I was worried about the set as well, and if it is not thickening for you, you can always add more sugar to help it set. Or even a bit of pectin at the end just to help it out. That said, this jam IS much loser than a typical pectin-based jam.
Leaving it overnight just helps the flavors of the peach and vanilla meld together. Totally optional step if you don’t have the time.
Good luck! :)
white peaches and vanilla beans…can you say AMAZING flavor combo. What a delicacy. I’ll buy a dozen jars. Are you selling? :)
If I had more than two precious jars I’d share! But, well, you know… #selfish
Goodness gracious. This looks heavenly! Beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
I bet this jam would make such a fantastic year-round gift, or variations of it. Wonderful flavors and beautiful photos, Lindsay!
This jam sounds so good! I definitely must get my hands on some peaches or nectarines before the summer is quite over. :)
This jam sounds truly perfect! Love this recipe!
Love this! All those vanilla bean specks make me very happy. Our CSA is keeping me more-than-well-stocked in peaches. I may have to try some jam!
Lucky you!! :)
you always come up with the best jams. i swear!
It looks and sounds just so adorable <3
the flecks of vanilla make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. this jam looks so good.
I love everything about this! the recipe, the labels, and the jars! Thanks for the recipe and the free download. I’ve never canned with lids without rings, like the black lids you have pictured. Is it any different than canning with lids that have rings?
The process is pretty darn similar. See this article for more info:
http://foodinjars.com/2013/07/how-to-can-in-hex-jars-with-lug-lids/
This sounds heavenly! I made a peach jalapeno jam a couple of years ago. It’s so good with cream cheese on crackers. I’m going to have to hit the farmer’s market today and see if anyone has peaches left
We haven’t had any good peaches this year. your jam sounds wonderful. I can just taste it.
I went strawberry picking with my family at the weekend with the intension of jam making, but a chest infection struck me down, so they were mostly just eaten or whizzed into a smoothie. They were delicious. There’s nothing better than freshly picked fuit.
I’m almost more sad for the end of peach season than I am the end of summertime. I’ve been going peach crazy this season and I love it! This jam looks fabulous, I love the extra vanilla flavor in the recipe you included, and the ginger version sounds deliciously spicy.
Oh yum! Vanilla jam? That sounds so and like it paris perfectly with the white peaches! I have to try this!