Peach Jam with Pomona Pectin

September 7th, 2010 by Diana Vergis Vinh

Peach Jam with Pomona Pectin

Friends have been telling me about the virtues of Pomona Pectin for quite a while. I recently got some from PCC, and now I’m hooked. Because it doesn’t require sugar to jell, you can easily vary the amount of sugar you use or you can use a different sweetener all together.

Yesterday I got sweet peaches from the farmers’ market and decided to try the Pomona with these. If you are going to can with farmers’ market produce, always ask to see if they have any produce they have set aside as too blemished to sell. You can often get really good deals this way, and as long as the produce is not spoiled it usually cans up beautifully.

First wash the peaches. Then to make them easy to peel put them in boiling water for a couple of minutes then in cold water until the fruit is cool to the touch.

Next mash them or pulse them in a food processor. For jam you want pieces of fruit so don’t puree them. Put the peaches in a pot with lemon juice and calcium water. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add in the pectin and sugar and bring back to a boil and cook for one to two minutes.

I like to add in some flavoring or spices but you need to be careful not to overpower the fruit. Spices can also intensify over time so it’s better to use less to begin with until you get an idea how much tastes good to you.