Peach Jelly

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Peach jelly is a smooth, golden preserve made from fresh peach juice, sugar, and pectin—perfect for spreading on toast or adding to baked goods. This classic jelly highlights the sweet, floral flavor of ripe summer peaches without any pulp or chunks. You can make it from whole fruit or repurpose the peels from home-canned peaches for a zero-waste variation that’s just as delicious.

Prep Time2

Cook Time10

Canning time10

Total Time2 20

Course: Jelly

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fruit jelly

Servings: servings, Makes 5 (8 oz) Jars

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups peach juice from about 12 medium peaches and 2 cups water
1 box powdered pectin 1.75 oz pectin or 6 Tbsp (like Sure-Jell)
4 cups sugar for low sugar, see the adjustments below
2 tbsp lemon juice optional—use if your peaches are very sweet and you want a little tartness

Instructions

Extracting Peach Juice

Prepare the Peaches: Wash your peaches thoroughly. You don’t need to peel them, but it’s a good idea to quarter them and remove the pits if you want to reduce the amount of solids in your juice. However, leaving the pits in is fine for the juice extraction process.
Cook the Peaches: In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine the quartered peaches with water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to crush the peaches and release their juices. Be careful not to overcook the peaches, as it can affect the flavor and the strength of the natural pectin.
Strain the Juice: Once the peaches have softened, it’s time to strain the juice. Place a damp jelly bag (or several layers of dampened cheesecloth) over a large bowl. Pour the cooked peach mixture into the jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined strainer and allow the juice to drip through, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours or overnight. The longer you let it drip, the clearer and more concentrated your juice will be.

Making Peach Jelly

Prepare Your Jars and Equipment: Wash and prepare jelly jars, lids and rings. Preheat a waterbath canner to just simmering, about 180 F.
Cook the Juice and Pectin: In a large saucepan, combine the peach juice and water. Add the pectin and stir to dissolve. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir occasionally, ensuring that the pectin is fully dissolved. Once it’s boiling, allow it to cook for 1 minute.
Add Sugar and Boil Again: Add the sugar to the pan and stir until it dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil, and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent burning. If you want to test if your jelly is set, you can do the cold plate test (see the “Tips” section below).
Fill the Jars: Once the jelly has reached the right consistency (it should be thick but still pourable), remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the hot jelly into your prepared jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth to ensure a good seal.
Seal the Jars: Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are "fingertip tight."
Process the Jars: Process the jars in a waterbath canner for 10 minutes, or 15 minutes if above 6,000 feet in elevation.
Cool and Store: Remove the jars from the canner using a jar lifter and place them on a clean towel to cool. Leave them undisturbed for 12-24 hours to ensure that the seals form properly. Once cooled, check the seals by pressing down on the center of the lid—it should not pop back. If it does, the jar didn’t seal, and you can refrigerate it and use it within a few weeks.

Notes

Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place, where they will keep for up to 18 months. Refrigerate after opening.

Low-Sugar Version: If you prefer a lower sugar recipe, you can use a low-sugar pectin like Sure-Jell Low-Sugar, which allows you to cut the sugar in half. In that case, use only 1 to 2 cups of sugar for 4 cups of juice. They yield will be lower.

Variations

This recipe works well for other stone fruits as well.

Nectarine Jelly: Use the same method to extract juice from nectarines—just substitute nectarines for peaches.

Plum Jelly: If you prefer plums, you can substitute them for the peaches, using about 9 plums for every cup of juice.

Nutrition