Peach-Jalapeno Jam is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Pectin. Pomona's Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener. This recipe was created by Allison Carroll Duffy for Pomona’s Pectin.
Notes
Before making this recipe, please read these important notes, from Allison, about safety and options:
Pepper Choices: You can use any color of bell pepper and any variety of hot pepper that you wish, in any combination, as long as the total quantity of peppers, including both hot peppers and bell peppers, does not exceed 1 cup. If you like extra heat, you can increase the hot pepper quantity, while decreasing the bell pepper quantity by the same amount. f you prefer less heat, you can do the opposite. Peppers are a low-acid food, and must be balanced with the proper quantity of acid (vinegar, in this case) in order for the jam to be safe for boiling water bath canning, which is why the overall quantity of peppers used in this recipe must not exceed 1 cup.
Bell peppers can be omitted and replaced by additional peaches if you prefer.
Vinegar Choices: Use standard white or apple cider vinegar with 5 percent acidity.
Fruit Choices: If you prefer to use fruits other than or in addition to peaches, there are a few other fruits that will work well with this recipe. Specifically, in addition to peaches, you may use any combination of nectarine, mango, apricot, sweet cherry, sweet plum, or pear (but not Asian pear). Fruits not on this list will not work well with this recipe.
Servings 6 cups
Ingredients
- 3¼ pounds peaches see note
- ½ cup finely chopped bell pepper see note
- ½ cup finely chopped jalapeno pepper see note
- ¾ cup vinegar see note
- 6 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 4½ teaspoons Pomona's Pectin mixed with sweetener
Instructions
- Before you begin, prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.
- Remove and discard peach peels and pits, then mash the peaches thoroughly. (Note: Ripe, slightly soft peaches are definitely best, but if firm peaches are your only option, you can soften them by placing the chopped peaches in a sauce pan with ½ cup of water, bringing the mixture to a boil, and simmering them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, thoroughly mash the softened peach mixture.)
- Wash the bell peppers, remove and discard seeds and finely chop. Repeat the process for the jalapeno peppers.
- Measure the chopped bell peppers and the chopped jalapeno peppers. Place the measured quantities in a sauce pan and add the vinegar.
- Cover the pepper-vinegar mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, remove it from the heat.
- Measure out 4 cups of the mashed peaches. (If you have any mashed peach left over, you can use it for something else.) Add the measured quantity of fruit to the pepper-vinegar mixture in the sauce pan. Then, add the calcium water and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and the pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Put the sauce pan on the stove and bring peach mixture up to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return the jam to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with preserves, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).
- Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
- Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from canner.
- Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.
Barbara Ginsberg
This seems like an unnecessary extra amount of calcium water and pectin. One person commented that it was too well set, even unpalatable. Why wouldn’t 3 tsps of pectin and 4 tsps of calcium water suffice as it does for regular peach jam? Been using Pomona’s Pectin since 2005. Especially peach jam for the past three summers due to our very giving peach tree. Can you give us a reason why you have added extra of each? Have you or anyone else reading here, used the standard amounts of pectin and calcium water for this recipe? After making several batches of peach jam with brown sugar, peach and cherry jam with cinnamon and cardamom, canned peaches, and peach applesauce, I want to make something else. I just found another four cups of frozen peaches in the freezer. Thought I was done! (I highly recommend peach and cherry. Don’t mash it fully so you have bits of the dark cherry. I used frozen peaches from our tree and frozen sweet cherries from Costco.)
Scott Sala
If you ever do a rewrite, I would like to see the pepper amount in weight.
Thanks!
Shelby Collings
Great suggestion Scott! Our cookbook should have this recipe (and all, or close to call others by weight as well!). https://pomonapectin.com/preserving-with-pomonas-cookbook/
Scott Sala
Finally….after reading your comment again. I checked my edition and discovered that it was printed in 2013. The newer edition arrived today. Cheers!!
LaJonna Nobles
Can I use a sugar substitute?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Dusty
Where do I find this recipe that isn’t low sugar?
Shelby Collings
All recipes created for using Pomona’s Pectin are low or no sugar.
Linzi
If I use honey for the sweetener how does one go about adding the pectin?
Shelby Collings
You will make sure the honey is loose and liquid and then you will mix the pectin into the honey.
Schyler Brundrett
Can I use some habeneros in place of some of the jalepenos. Looking for a honey peach habenero jam recipe as I used to make one I like with white sugar, but no longer eat white sugar.
Shelby Collings
You sure can! Simply use the same measurement of called for jalapeno.
SusanT
Hi!
I just made this exactly as written, using Pomona for the first time (but I am not new to canning), and it jelled so firm as to be very unpalatable (I opened a jar and could barely scrape it off with the knife lol). Is there any way of “checking” the jell before canning (like with candy, and a cold plate), and if so, how could I have saved it if I noticed it? I tossed the lot, as the peppers were also exceptionally hot for jalapenos and ruined the peach taste, whole thing was a fail for me…my fault for not tasting the peppers! Love the idea of low sugar canning, but not sure what went wrong with the super hard jell. Thanks!
Susan
Shelby Collings
Hello Susan,
Yes! You can certainly do the cold plate test to get an estimate of how much gel you might have. It may be that the peaches were not as juicy or that there was somewhat of a measuring discrepancy. You can always reduce the pectin amount also, if you know you like a softer set, we recommend reducing the pectin from the get go.
Happy jamming!
Colleen Pariani
Could I use Italian prune plums instead of the peaches in this recipe. Love the peach version wanted to try something new. Thank you 😊
Shelby Collings
Yum! Yes, substituting plums for the peached would be just fine, and we would love to hear how it turns out for you 😊
Colleen
Thank you I will post back when I make it
Danielle Y.
Is it okay to replace the sugar with the same amount of honey in this recipe? Thanks so much!
Shelby Collings
Hello Danielle,
You will use 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup honey in place of sugar in this recipe.
Happy jamming!
Rowena
This worked well and tastes good! I’ll be making it again next year.
Nina
Can the peaches be replaced with Mangoes?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Pete
Is it OK to greatly reduce the sugar (or even omit it entirely) or would that have a negative effect on the jam setting / shelf life? Thanks, looking forward to trying this out.
Help!
Ok, so this recipe doesn’t say when to add in the calcium mixture, and I forgot it. Drat…now what? I’m thinking it will impact the setting of the jam?
Shelby Collings
Hello Kate,
Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s Pectin and reaching out to us!
The recipe actually does state to add the calcium water in #6. If your jam does not jell, you can dump the contents back into a pot, bring the jam back to a boil, add the missing calcium water, then place hot jam back into clean jars and reprocess.
Happy jamming!
Beth
Correction from my comment yesterday. After cooking overnight I see that it gelled too much and is dry and clumpy. Still tastes great. If I stick to 4 cups of smashed peaches and about 1/4 cup of peppers, what should I do differently? Thanks!
Beth
I followed this recipe exactly except I did not add the bell pepper and used 2 tablespoons of diced jalapeños and 1.5 tablespoons diced cayenne peppers. I realized after that it says to add additional peaches if you leave out the bell pepper. It turned out really good. Is there any reason I need to add the additional peaches?
Allison Dionne
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is by far the best Jalapeno peach jam I’ve ever had. I’ve used other recipes and had many failed attempts in the past (not setting, too sweet….). I love Pomona pectin, and your recipes, and will not use anything else. Thank you! 😊
Wendy Morrison
That seems like an awful lot of vinegar – can you taste it in the jam? Can you substitute lemon juice for the vinegar?
Shelby Collings
Hello Beth,
Not necessary, just another extra step of precaution so the lid will not corrode. Happy jamming!
Beth
I’m going to make this tomorrow using apricots. Cant wait!
A question for you….I always wipe the jars clean after I process them to make sure they’re not sticky. Is it necessary to remove the rings after they’ve sealed? I’ve never done this.
Audrey
I made this 2 weeks ago with very delicious South Carolina peaches. I love pepper jellies and this one is a keeper.
Laura S. Clark
I noticed this recipe can be made with apricots. I have very limited access to fresh apricots and no access to frozen. Can I use dried apricots? Just use 4 cups? Thanks!
Shelby Collings
Hello Laura,
You should be able to use dried apricots, you will just need to reconstitute them in hot water before chopping and measuring them.
We have never tried it this way, and would love to hear how it turns out if yo decide to give it a go.
Happy jamming!
RedS
Can I use coconut sugar in place of the sugar?
Shelby Collings
Hello!
We have never used coconut sugar for this recipe, but we cannot think of any reason why it wouldn’t work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it turns out for you.
Kindly,
Shelby
RedS
I looked in the FAQ’s, (after I asked…sorry) and found I need to turn it into a powder, then measure, correct? I have had to do this with coconut sugar in other recipes that require it. It works well.
Shelby Collings
Yes, making the granules more fine will help tremendously with getting them dissolved at the same pace as the pectin and will prevent clumping.
Colleen a Pariani
Can I double the recipe? Thank you…
Shelby Collings
Hello Colleen,
You absolutely can! Just be sure that you have a sauce pan large enough to cook all that jam and pot large enough to process all those jar all at once.
Happy jamming!
Kindly,
Shelby
Colleen a Pariani
Thank you Shelby..So Thankful. I found your product….Having low sugar recipes is such a Blessing…
Strong PaTricia
Is it ok to use frozen peaches for this recipe? Thanks!
Mary Lou Sumberg
Hi Patricia,
Yes, you can use frozen peaches for this recipe. Here is our FAQ about that, in Section 5 on our FAQ page.
Can I use frozen fruit for the cooked jam recipes?
Yes, you can use frozen fruit for the cooked recipes. It’s best to use unsweetened frozen fruit. Defrost, but don’t drain, frozen fruit before using. Generally you use the liquid from the frozen fruit along with the fruit unless you notice that there is an excessive amount of liquid, in which case you would ladle off some of the excess liquid before measuring your mashed fruit. If you are going to juice the fruit for jelly, then you would use all of the liquid.
Thanks for using Pomona’s Pectin — and happy jamming!