Tired of jams and jellies full of sugar? Here’s a honey peach preserves recipe that uses honey as the only sweetener!

We love homemade jams at our house. On toast, as pancake topping or on a sandwich. What I don’t like is the high amount of sugar that most jam recipes require.

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With the last of my peaches I decided to make a batch Peach Preserves using honey as the sweetener. The key is to make sure your fruit is perfectly ripe- letting the natural flavors and sweetness shine.

This is a simple recipe- only 3 ingredients that will let you enjoy that great peach taste with a light sweetness all winter long!

 

Honey Peach Preserves canned in jars

 

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How to Make Honey Peach Preserves

 

chopped peaches and honey

 

Here is what you will need (makes 4 pints):

15-20 Peaches

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1-2 cups honey (depending on your taste)

*I think peaches have enough natural pectin, but if you want you can also add a little bit of low/no sugar pectin.

 

honey and chopped peaches cooking down in a pot

 

What to do:

Start by peeling your peaches and removing the pits. 

You can do this by boiling the peaches for a few minutes until the skins easily slip off. Some people swear by this as a time saver, but I prefer to use a peeler and I am actually faster with a peeler than with boiling water. 

Then you want to chop up your peaches. I like mine chopped pretty small, so I pulse them in the food processor. You can also just dice them up by hand.

Place them in a large pot and stir in the lemon juice and honey.

Heat the mixture to boiling- stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook- stirring frequently- until the preserves start to thicken up- maybe 30 to 45 minutes. Sometimes even longer depending on your pot, heating element, etc. 

You want the peaches to reach about 220F.

You’ll know it’s done when the preserves cling to a cold metal spoon. 

 

jars of peach preserves with a fresh peach on top of jar

 

Here are the steps to can these peach preserves:

 

1) Sterilize your jars by running them through the dishwasher or washing in soapy, hot water. Keep the jars warm to prevent cracking when filling with hot preserves. I recommend pints or half-pint jars for preserves and jam.

2) Fill your canning pot and turn the heat on to medium or high heat.

3) Fill your jars with preserves, leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth and place the lids and bands on the jars, tightening finger tight.  (I’ve had good luck with the reusable Tattler lids if you want to use reusable ones)

4) Place the jars in your canning pot so that the water comes at least one inch above the jars.

5) Process (boil) the jars for 10 minutes. Start your timer when the water begins to boil.

6) After 5 minutes, turn the heat off the canning pot. Wait about 5 minutes before removing the jars.

7) Place the hot jars on a towel, in a draft free area where they will not be disturbed. Allow them to sit overnight or for at least 8 hours before checking for seals. You should hear the “ping” of the jars sealing.

8) Check your jars for proper seals by pressing down in the center of the lid. If the center can be popped up and down, your jar is not sealed and should be refrigerated.

 

It’s that easy! Try a batch and let me know what you think! It goes great on top of my buttermilk biscuits!

 

You May Also Like These Canning Recipes:

How to Make Strawberry Preserves

How to Make Forsythia Jelly

How to Make Tomato Jam

How to Make Redbud Jelly

How to Can Peaches in Juice