An easy and delicious peach and pepper jam, with peaches, jalapeño peppers and bell peppers. Use this sweet and spicy jam on cheese and crackers or try it as a glaze for chicken or shrimp.
There is possibly nothing finer than this peach and pepper jam on top of a round of melted brie. I’ve also enjoyed it with crackers and cream cheese. Or aged cheddar. If you’re adventurous, enjoy it on toast or a scone. And that’s not all! It makes a great and flavourful glaze for chicken or shrimp. Or serve it on the side as a sweet and spicy condiment.
This jam makes great hostess or Christmas gifts. If you decide to make lots, make some small jars and have them ready for gifts any time.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Peaches – Start with fresh peaches. I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen or canned peaches.
Powdered Pectin – such as Certo or Sure-Jell. The box in Canada is 57g (2oz), and you will need one box. I recommend using powdered pectin if at all possible, as it is what was used to test this recipe. I haven’t tested this recipe with liquid pectin, though it may be as simple as adding it at the end of cooking (per the package directions.
How to make peach and pepper jam
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making this recipe.
- Combine the peaches, jalapeño peppers, red bell pepper, lemon rind and pectin powder in a large pot (not aluminum or cast-iron).
- Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring regularly.
- Add the white sugar and stir in.
- If you like, you can add a 1/2 teaspoon of butter to the pot. This helps to reduce the foaming somewhat.
- Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil, then let it boil hard for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, skim off and discard the foam and then ladle into jars.
Recipe tips!
- Unless you properly preserve this jam (sterilized jars and lids and a hot water bath), you will need to refrigerate this jam after making, for shorter-term use.
- You can make a half-batch if you don’t think you can use it all in the short term, or just hand out out to friends and family to enjoy, as they’ll surely appreciate it, too :)
- Jams need quite a bit of sugar to set properly, so I don’t suggest reducing the sugar from what is specified. If you are concerned about the sugar, you would need to use a low-sugar pectin and adapt this recipe accordingly.
Troubleshooting
If your jam has sat for 24 hours and has not set, all is not lost! Simply return the jam to a large pot and bring it back to a rolling boil. Boil at a full rolling boil for a couple of minutes more, then spoon back into the jars to set.
Canning guidance
If you’d like to can this jam for longer storage, be sure to use proper canning methods. The Bernadin Home Canning Guide is a great resource.
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Get the Recipe: Peach and Pepper Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 oz box pectin powder, 57g *see Note 1
- 5 cups white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon butter, optional, but will reduce foaming somewhat
Instructions
- Tip! Be sure to use a non-reactive pan to make jams. That means not using an aluminum or cast-iron pan.
- Tip! A full rolling boil is a boil that can't be stirred down. It's called a rolling boil because the liquid seems to boil up and roll over the top. Be sure the entire pot is at that level before you start timing the 1-minute hard boil!
- Place peaches, jalapeño pepper, red bell pepper, lemon rind, cider vinegar and powdered pectin into a large pot. Stir well to combine. Place on the stovetop over high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boil.
- Stir in the sugar and the butter, if using and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Be patient, as this can take 5-10 minutes. Once the jam reaches a full, rolling boil, allow it to boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Skim off foam with a spoon and discard. Pour into clean, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4-inch of the rim. Place lids onto the jars and finger-tighten. If not canning, transfer to the refrigerator and let stand undisturbed for 24 hours. If canning, immediately process in the hot water bath as detailed below. Let stand for 24 hours undisturbed after canning.
- Refrigerate the jars for short-term use (up to 3 months) or process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (*up to 1000 feet above sea level or longer if higher elevation), to preserve this jam for longer storage.
- Troubleshooting! If your jam has sat for 24 hours and has not set, all is not lost! Simply return the jam to a large pot and bring it back to a rolling boil. Boil at a full rolling boil for a couple of minutes more, then spoon back into the jars to set.
Notes
More jam recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hello, I made this today, it’s wonderful but a bit sweet. Is it possible to substitute lemon juice for the grated lemon?
Hi Jackie, adding liquid lemon juice may upset the balance and affect the set. I’d be more inclined to increasing the grated lemon first and see how that works.
Hi Jennifer. I like using the liquid Certo. Can I use 1 pkg. 85 ml. Instead of the powder Certo?
Hi Diann, I have’t tested this with liquid Certo. You might want to search out substituting one for the other and see if there are any other considerations or adaptations.
Hi Jennifer, I made it with liquid pectin, just followed instructions on box. You add the liquid at the end of the process. It is perfect.
Glad to hear, Stephanie! Did you use one pouch or two?
New to this sort of thing and have a couple questions as I am extremely worried about bacteria. Can you define ‘short term use,’ regarding perserving? Would like to use for Christmas gifts but do not want to make anyone sick. Could freezing fresh peaches and then making be better closer to Christmas than making now and hoping it holds for 4-6 months?
Hi Teresa and yes, 4-6 months in the fridge is probably optimistic, so I would definitely go with freezing peaches and making it closer to Christmas. Refrigerated jams like this are best used within about 3 months.
Hi, Can you freeze this ?
Hi Ronda and I’m not certain how it holds up to freezing, as I haven’t tried it. I have had success freezing jam though, so my guess would be that you could.
Made this today. I added a small amount of red pepper flakes for an added kick. Used sure gell. Great recipe, thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Beckie! Thanks :)
followed the instructions, used US packet of Sure-Gel, the jam has already set up. It has a wonderful color, great aroma and a smooth taste! thanks for the recipe
So glad to hear, Will! Thanks so much :)
Delish! Just made it since the neighbors peach tree limbs have bowed down into my yard. I helped myself and havent even made a dent in the peaches. I may have to make it again and again. I only had 8 oz canning jars and it made 3 1/2 8 oz jars. I doubt they last 3 weeks so I will just put them in my fridge but I think I am going to can these for gifts. Its a subtle hint of hotness. I added hot peppers as someone else suggested. Next batch for us will need a lot more peppers but this is perfect for gifts. First time making jam and excited.
So glad you enjoyed it, Tonya :) Thanks!
If it only makes 3 1/2 jars can you double the recipe?
Hi Sarah and yes, you can double the recipe.
First, the one and only negative is the time. Way longer than 45 minutes. Peeling peaches, chopping of everything is almost 45 minutes by itself. This is more in the area of 2 hours and I do a lot of canning.
That being said, this is an excellent recipe. Stonewall Kitchen makes something similar and this is way better than what they sell. I did add about 1/4-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes for a little more spicy taste. Personal preference. The amount of pectin is spot on at 59 grams. Wound up with 9 8oz jars. Did hot water canning for sealing, which yes did add that amount of extra time.
Many thanks for this great share!
Luther, did you water bath yours? How long did you boil them and did you use pints or half pints please?
Hi Phil! I’m making mine right now. Got 6 1/2 pint jars and am processing now…10 minutes but an extra 5 because of my elevation. Hope that helps
I’ve made this recipe four times with fresh peaches and have had great success. The fifth time I tried canned peaches (the kind in syrup). The jam did not set up well and is runny. I’m assuming that I should rinse the peaches and pat dry perhaps to have better success. It taste great and will go well as a baste for my chicken just not so well on crackers. I just love the flavor obviously as I’ve made 5 batches. I’ve had to share pints with friends after they’ve tried it!
So glad you are enjoying it and for letting us know that it doesn’t work that well with canned peaches. I wonder if frozen peaches might perform better? I haven’t tried anything other than fresh peaches myself (even out of season ones seem to work quite well). I love the flavour, too :) Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer, Do you think the recipe will work using frozen or canned peaches?
Thanks,
I haven’t tried it Elizabeth, but I suspect it would. The texture might be a touch different, but other than that, should work.
Love the jam and it’s flavor. We put through hot water bath to keep it preserved and can use throughout the year. When it cooled (all jars sealed 😊) the chopped peppers weren’t suspended in the solid but layered at the top of the jam. What did I do wrong?
Hi Shannon, it sounds like the jam was thinned from the hot water bath and the solids floated to the top. I suspect you could fix next time by inverting the jars several times while it is cooling, to re-distribute the solids.
I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of this recipe. It is so pretty and the consistency is perfect. I am a novice canner and this was out of my wheelhouse. Thank you for this recipe that even I could make like a professional.
I do have a question, could I substitute pineapple for the peaches?
So happy to hear, Vicki! And yes, although I haven’t tried it, I suspect pineapple would work similarly in this recipe. If you try it, let me know how it works out :)
Very delicious! This was my first time making a jam and it turned out well. Followed the recipe but my only change was using the small snacking peppers in red, orange, and yellow. I just purchased pectin (Ball) that was in a larger size and weighed out 57g. Canned in half pint jars and processed in a water bath for 10 minutes.
So glad to hear, Leslie :) Thanks so much!
I tried the recipe for the first time and I absolutely love it!
I am making it again for Christmas gifts. Thank you!
So glad to hear, Karen :) Thanks so much!
Can you use less sugar . Would that mess with the set?
Hi Crystal, I don’t recommend reducing the sugar as it will affect both the set and the shelf life of the jam. Jams have a lot of sugar, but it is necessary. Just remember it’s a condiment, so you are only using a small amount at a time :)