Bourbon Peach Jam

I’ve recently taken up the hobby of canning! I’ve got a lot of delicious recipes to share, but felt inclined to post this one first. It’s easy and fun, and will allow you to familiarize yourself with the canning process without a recipe that is too challenging!

This is actually my first sweet recipe (all of my others for the most part are savory: pickles, spicy carrots, salsas, etc), and I’m incredibly pleased with the result! I was looking to make something that would go well over a scoop of ice cream, spread over a buttery croissant, or even by the spoonful as a small yet satisfying after dinner treat. I wanted to maintain some of the alcohol content so I waited to add the burbon until after the fruit and sugar had been boiled. However, if you’d prefer to keep the flavor but lose the alcohol content, add with the rest of the ingredients at the beginning of the process.

6 8-ounce sterilized jars

4 cups chopped peaches (5 medium-large peaches)

5 ½ cups sugar

1 lemon, juiced and zested

½ -1 cup burbon

1 package of liquid pectin

To sterilize jars, submerge both jars and lids in boiling water for 15 minutes. Make sure there is at least 1 inch of water 

Chop peaches into approximately ¼ inch cubes.

In a medium sized pot, combine peaches, lemon juice and zest, and pectin.

*Note-if you’d prefer the jam not be alcoholic, add burbon now.

Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.

Once boiling, add all 5 ½ cups of sugar at once.

Stir until sugar is fully melted, and allow the mixture to return to a rolling boil.

Remove from heat and set up jars to be filled.

*Add burbon now if you’d prefer it to retain some of the alcohol.

Fill jars with hot jam one at a time, leaving about ½ inch of space at the top.

Wipe rims of jars with a clean towel and seal tightly using the lids and rings.

Once all jars are filled, place them back into the boiling water, making sure there is at least 1 inch of water above each jar.

Allow jars to sit in the boiling water for 10 minutes.

In order to test the seal of the jar, press down on the center of the lid; the lid should not pop, it should remain inverted. If the jar did not seal properly and you are able to depress the center of the lid, immediately put in the refrigerator and enjoy within the next few weeks.

If the jars were sealed properly, let rest for 24 hours and store for up to 1 year.