How to make Spicy Peach Jam at Home? (Perfect on Toast and Tacos)

• Recipe: Spicy Peach Jam
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Check out this simple recipe to learn how to make peach jam! For a surprising sweet twist, spread it on toast, dollop it on ice cream, or sprinkle it on tacos.

I had dinner with my friend Grace a few weeks ago, and she brought me the most amazing homemade blackberry jam. I asked her if she would come over and share a recipe for the blog since making jam isn’t my jam.

We chose spicy peach jam since I adore peaches and it was the peach season. We also jammed the weekend prior. Technically speaking, she jammed. I looked. Jack used his camera.

Make Peach Jam at Home

Aside from canning, I was shocked at how simple this peach jam recipe was. Although it seems lengthy, the most time-consuming step is macerating the peaches for an entire night.

The practical phases went by fairly fast. What you must do is as follows:

1. Peel the peaches by making a little x in their bottoms and blanching them for one to two minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, place them in an ice bath and remove the skins.
2. Peel the peaches then cut them into thin strips. Combine. They should be carefully combined with some sugar, white wine, and chilies, if used, in a big bowl.
3. Macerate: This is a simple step! The combination should only be refrigerated for two to three days.
4. Cook – Pour the peach mixture that has been macerated over a sizable bowl. Then, boil the filtered juices with lemon juice, Granny Smith apples, or pectin until they thicken to create a syrupy base for the jam. After removing the apple slices, toss in the leftover peach mixture and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Jam should be canned if you want to keep it at room temperature. The peach jam should be packed into hot, sterile jars, allowing about 1/4″ of space at the top. Put the lids on tightly and boil the containers in boiling water for ten minutes.
6. Peach preserves that have been canned can be kept for up to a year in a cold, dark location. If not, store them in the fridge for up to a month!

Methods for Using Peach Jam

If you don’t want your jam to be hot, feel free to omit the chiles. I adore the sweetness and spiciness of fresh peaches with chiles.

So you can use it on peanut butter sandwiches or dollop it into morning yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats, just like you would any other fruit preserve.

But the spicy jam is great; I suggest you try it. I’ve been putting this peach jam on toast all week. Ricotta or nut butter goes particularly well with the peach taste.

As a nice, surprise topping for tacos, ice cream, or frozen yogurt, it would also be delicious!

Spicy Peach Jam

Use this spicy, sweet peach jam on tacos, ice cream, or toast. It’s a mouthwatering summer treat.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds of ripe peaches
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 cup lightly sweet white wine (I used a Viognier)
• 7 dried pequin chile peppers, stems removed
• 3 Granny Smith apples (or pectin)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Zest from 1 small lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Instructions

1. Peeling involves making a little “x” in the bottom of each peach, putting it in boiling water for a minute or two (you’ll know it’s done when the skin starts to split at the “x”), taking it out, and dropping it into an ice bath. Remove the peach’s skin after it is cool enough to handle. The ripeness of the fruit and the method of cultivation have also been discovered to have a significant impact on how simple it is to remove peach peels. It always seems to be considerably more difficult (and perhaps impossible) to remove the skins from a peach if it is either overripe or underripe. In such a scenario, I just removed the skin.
2. Cut and blend: In the bottom of a medium-sized glass (or non-metal, non-reactive) bowl, sprinkle some sugar. Remove the pit by cutting each peach in half, top to bottom. Add each half to the bowl after slicing into 12 to 16 thin slices. Once you’ve added all the peaches and all the sugar, add a bit more sugar between each peach. Then, gradually whisk in the wine and chilies until incorporated.
3. (2–3 days) macerate Refrigerate the mixture for at least two days (and up to three). Try this if you want a bit more heat: on the second day, simmer the mixture once more, let it cool, then transfer back to the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for another day. (This will give your jam extra spiciness.)
4. Cook: (If you plan to can, get your boiling water bath, jars, and lids ready immediately.) To extract the juices, pour the peach mixture into a colander set over a basin. Transfer the juices to a sauté pan that has an uncoated, heavy-bottom, wide, deep, non-reactive surface. To the pan, add the lemon juice. Apples should be cut into quarters and added to the pan directly or wrapped in cheesecloth and added to the pan. If you’d prefer, you can use homemade or store-bought pectin in place of the apples. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Boil the mixture for another 15 to 20 minutes, sometimes stirring, until it thickens and reduces. Apples should be taken out and either discarded or saved for later. Slices of peach, lemon zest, and any remaining liquids should be added to the syrup in the pan. Stirring constantly over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture is thickly bubbling and the foam has subsided. After removing from the heat, give the mixture a quick toss to evenly distribute the fruit.
5. Can: (optional) (optional) Remove any air bubbles from your hot, sterile jars, wipe the rims clean, attach your lids, and process for 10 minutes in the boiling water bath.
6. Store: The preserves can last up to a month when refrigerated. They can be kept in a can for up to a year if kept in a cold, dark place.

Notes

• When creating preserves, I try to use the least amount of sugar I can. If you like, you can add more sugar to this recipe, but if you use less, the set will change. Additionally, I prefer a loose set, but if you prefer a firmer set, substitute commercial pectin for the Granny Smith apples and add 1/2 to 1 cup additional sugar.