Peach Jalapeno Jam Recipe

In this peach jalapeno jam recipe, we’ll use peaches, jalapenos, less sugar than in traditional jam, and no store-bought pectin. It’s a summer favorite that is not too sweet and not too spicy.

---

I love peaches and I love making peach jam. I make it every summer with locally grown peaches and it never disappoints! It’s a jam that we use throughout the year in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or on crackers with cream cheese or just on a toast.

This year, I decided to try something a little different and add a few jalapenos to my jam. I am usually scared of spicy peppers, I don’t like them too much. But earlier this year I tasted a strawberry jalapeno jam that a friend made and was surprised that it wasn’t too spicy yet it had this flavor twist to it that I really liked.

Peach Jalapeno Jam Recipe…

So I decided that if the combination was great with strawberries it will probably be just as good with summer peaches (it was also amazing with mangos in my mango jalapeno jam!). I followed my usual jam-making process and I have to say that the result was even better than I thought! The combination of sweet peaches and spicy jalapenos is delicious and I wasn’t the only one to think that, even the kids loved it.

Ingredients…

• Peaches – choose juicy, ripe peaches. The kind of peaches doesn’t matter they should all work great in this recipe. I started with 13 large peaches (about 4 pounds) and ended up with 9 half-pint jars of jam.
• Jalapenos – I added 5 jalapenos to the peaches. You can add a few more if you like. When I diced mine, I made sure to remove the seeds. The seeds are really where all the heat is so if you want your jam more on the spicy side feel free to leave a few in there and cook them with the jam.
• Sugar – just good old white sugar. In traditional jams, the ratio is one part fruit to one part sugar. For me, it’s just too sweet so I cut the sugar in half and use one part fruit to one-half part sugar. I used about 2 pounds of sugar in this jam.
• Lemon juice and seeds – lemon juice and seeds have a lot of natural pectin in them so instead of using store bought pectin I add lemon juice and a few seeds to my jams. No matter what fruit I use, it always works well. I used the juice of half a lemon and about 5 seeds in this jam.

Kitchen Tools…

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Gloves (for handling the spicy peppers)
• Deep pan
• Spatula or wooden spoon
• Immersion blender or you can use a potato masher if you like large chunks of fruit in your jam.
• Half-pint jars with lids – this is my favorite size jars to use when canning jam but you can also use a pint.
• Canning utensils
• Ladle
• Paper towel
• Water bath canner

How to Make Peach Jalapeno Jam Step By Step…

Step one – prepare the ingredients. Start by washing the peaches. You can peel them if you’d like but I never do. Remove their pit and dice them, then add them to the pan. Next, wear your kitchen gloves before handling the jalapenos. Remove the stem and cut the peppers in half. Remove the seeds if you don’t want the jam to be too spicy or leave some of them or all of them if you prefer your jam spicy. Dice the peppers and add them to the pot with the peaches. Lastly, add the sugar to the fruit and peppers.

Step two – cook the jam. Turn the heat to medium-high and start cooking the jam. Use the spatula to stir frequently. It will take a few minutes until the sugar melts and the juices are released from the fruit. Keep stirring and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for five minutes before lowering the heat to medium-low for the rest of the cooking.

Keep cooking, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. At this point, the fruit should be soft and you can blend it with an immersion blender or mash it with a potato masher.

Keep cooking for an additional 20 minutes or so, stirring frequently. You’ll notice that the jam is starting to thicken a bit at this point.

Step three – add lemon juice and a few seeds. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon right into the pan and throw in about 5 seeds. Stir them in.

Step four – check for thickness. After adding the lemon seeds keep cooking for about 15 minutes or so. Watch your jam as you stir it to measure its thickness. If you are not sure if it’s ready you can do the spoon test. Scoop some jam on a spoon and set it on the kitchen counter to cool for five minutes or so. Then add it back into the pot and as it leaves the spoon you will be able to measure its thickness. Just remember that the jam will keep on thickening in the jars as it cools completely.

Canning Peach Jalapeno Jam…

Step five – prepare the jam for processing. Fill the water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by about an inch. Set it on the stovetop, turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Wash your jars, lids, and bands well with hot water and soap (since we will be processing the jars for 10 minutes, there is no need to sterilize them first).

Use a ladle and the canning funnel to fill the jars, make sure to leave 1/2 inch of headspace. Use the bubble remover to scrape the inside of the jar and remove air bubbles. Then use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar before centering the lid and closing the jar with the band.

Place the jars on the rack of the water bath canner and lower the jars into the boiling water. Cover the canner and process the jars for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, uncover the canner and let the jars rest in the hot water for five minutes or so. Then, use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and place them on a kitchen towel to cool completely overnight.

Always remember to adjust the processing time if you live over 1000 feet in elevation. Follow the table above to make any adjustments.

How to Store Peach Jalapeno Jam…

When the jars are completely cool, check that they are all sealed by pressing the center of each lid. If there is no movement there it means that your jars are sealed and ready for storage. If you find that one of the jars didn’t seal, just store it in the fridge and use it first (or you can also try to process it again. Usually I recommend changing the lid if you are going to do that).

Wipe the jars and remove the band. It sometimes rusts in storage and makes it hard to open the jar down the road. And, you can also reuse it for canning something else. Store your peach and jalapeno jam in a cool place like a pantry or a kitchen cabinet. It should last for 18 months or so.

How to Serve Peach Jalapeno Jam..

• As a snack – we love spreading cream cheese on crackers (or a bagel) and adding some jam on top. It’s an awesome mid day snack for the whole family.
• On a toast – I always drink coffee in the morning and a toast with some jam on it is the perfect companion.
• In cookies – I make these thumbprint cookies and add jam in the center. They melt in your mouth and are absolutely addictive!
• On yogurt – homemade yogurt (made with either raw milk or store-bought) with homemade granola and a tablespoon or so of jam is my go-to meal when I have no energy to cook a “real” one.
• Add it to baked goods – if it’s a baked brie puff pastry, an Italian jam tart, a turnover, jam filled bars, or any other baked good, this jam will work great!

Frequently Asked Questions…

---

This peach and jalapeno jam is sweet but not too sweet, spicy but not too spicy… It has this special taste that was new and really pleasant for me. Adding spiciness to all the sweetness seems to work very well and this one is going to be a summer regular for us for sure. I hope that you’ll give it a try!

More Jam Recipes…

• Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
• Low Sugar Cantaloupe Jam
• Easy Pineapple Jam Recipe
• Grape Jam Recipe
• Kiwi Jam Recipe
• Find a list of all of my jam recipes on this page.

Please share this content if you like it. Thank You!