Peach Plum Nectarine Jam

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Stone Fruit Jam…. Otherwise known as Peach Plum Nectarine Jam.

I was gifted a couple bags of fruit. . Peaches, nectarines and a bag of plums. The fruit was getting overripe so I knew I had to use it up quick. Jam is always a good bet!

I didn’t really have enough of any of them to make a full batch of jam so I combined what I had and wah lah… stone fruit jam.

I ended up using about 4 peaches, 4 nectarines and 7 plums. Enough for 7 cups of fruit. After looking at some of my other jam recipes I decided on 3 cups sugar. To keep the color nice and help with the gel I added 3 T lemon juice.

Since this was my own creation this time I didn’t know if it would have enough pectin to jel up nice but I figured if it didn’t work I’d just call it…. Stone fruit syrup! Syrup is also always a good bet!

No fear, it turned out great. Jam it is. 🙂

Know Your Canner

This recipe is appropriate for either a water bath OR a steam canner. (Not to be mistaken for a pressure canner.) I highly recommend steam canning if you’ve got a steam canner, but if not, a water bath is totally fine.

If you haven’t tried water bath canning or steam canning yet. I highly recommend checking out How to Use a Water Bath Canne or How to Use a Steam Canner. These tutorials  will introduce you to both canning methods and help you choose the method that suits your needs best.

Prepare

Gather your canning supplies

Ingredients

  • 7 cups chopped Peaches, Plums and Nectarines.
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 T lemon juice.

Start by preparing jars, and get water in your canner heating.
(see Water Bath Canning for full directions)

Homemade Peach Nectarine Plum Jam

First you’ll need to prepare your jam.

Peaches and Nectarines – Peel, remove from the stone and chop coarsely. I just peeled with a knife since there were not that many fruits and they were very ripe and easy to peel. You could blanch and remove the skins that way. See my canning peaches page for directions on how to peel your peaches.

Fruit slices and chopped pulp in a large glass measuring bowl on the countertop.

Plums – I ended up using a food processor to chop up the plums. I was not convinced it would break up and mash as easily as the peaches and nectarines. So I figured I’d chop them up first. When you do this, be sure you only chop them. Don’t liquefy. You just want it chopped finely.

Combine all in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir often.

Use a potato masher if needed to mash up the fruit.

A large pot of jam boiling with little bubbles bursting through the surface of the mixture.

Boil for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. As it gets thicker test the temperature. Try to get to at least 200 degrees. This is a good gelling point.

When the jam is done fill jars leaving about ¼ inch headspace. Add canning lids and rings. I used pink reusable canning lids!

Placing reusable lids on top of the jars of stonefruit jam.

Expert Tip:

  • If the jam is ‘almost ready, don’t leave it for ‘just a minute’. It WILL burn. Ask me how I know.
  • Hahaha Confession time: If the jam is slightly scorched, make some toast top with jam and taste it. If it doesn’t TASTE scorched, go ahead fill your jars and proceed as usual. Don’t scrape the bottom.
  • Mark the jars in such a way that you DON’T give them away as gifts. Just in case there are little bits of scorched but not really tasting scorched jam floating around in there. Really just do it…. I did . Shhhhhhhh.

Process in a water bath canner.

  • 1/2 pints or pints
  • process for 10 minutes if you are below 6000 ft elevation.
  • 15 minutes if you are above 6000 ft elevation.
Stonefruit jam spread over golden brown pancakes on a white plate.
Serve it over pancakes. YUM!

For more recipes to use up plums (because those trees can be fruitful!) Check out these plum recipes.

Peach-Nectarine-Plum Jam

One day, I didn’t really have enough of any of these fruits to make a full batch of jam so I combined what I had and wah lah…Peach-Nectarine-Plum Jam! My own creation & it turned out great. Yum!
Print Recipe
Stonefruit jam spread over golden brown pancakes on a white plate.
Prep Time:1 hour
Processing Pints (adjust for altitude):10 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 7 cups Fruit chopped; I used about 4 peaches, 4 nectarines, & 7 plums
  • 3 cups Sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice 

Instructions

  • Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.
    See full water bath canning instructions here.  

For a Hot Pack

  • Peel, pit, & coarsely chop peaches and nectarines.
  • Chop plums in food processor.
  • Combine fruit in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Mash fruit a bit if needed.
  • Boil for ~20 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep boiling until it reaches at least 200 degrees F.
  • Fill hot jar with hot jam, leaving 1/4” headspace.
  • Remove air bubbles, wipe rim clean, and place seal and ring. Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the chart below.

Notes

Processing with a Water Bath Canner
Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the canner.
When all the jars are filled, bring the water in the canner to a boil.  When a boil is reached that is when you’ll start your timing.   Process for the length of time on the chart below.  Adjust for your altitude. 
 After your time is over, turn the heat off remove the lid and allow the canner to rest for about 5 minutes. Then bring your jars up out of the water.  Allow them to rest for another 5 minutes. Then remove the jars and place them a few inches apart on a thick towel to cool completely.  Leave them alone for about 12 hours.  
When they are cooled remove the metal bands, check the seals, label the jars and store them away! 
Processing Times for Water Bath Canner (Hot Pack) 
Altitude – Half Pints and Pints are Processed the Same 
0-6,000 ft – 10 minutes 
Above 6,000 ft – 15 minutes 
Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation

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