Freezer Peach Jam

Before you begin:

Have all your jam jars ready and waiting. Wash as you would any other dishes. I do mine in the dishwasher on high temp, as this also sterilizes them reducing the need to boil them. Use either sturdy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, or short wide-mouthed glass jars made especially for the freezer.

It's best to choose containers that are no bigger than pint-size; the jam will not set up as well in large containers.

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and cut into chunks

5 cups sugar

1 pkg, Sure Jell Fruit Pectin (powdered, do not use the liquid form)

1 cup water in which to dissolve and boil the pectin

• Wash and peel the peaches
• Place it in a wide-bottomed pan and crush with a potato masher to a chunky consistency
• Stir in the sugar and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
• In the meantime, mix together the pectin and water in a small saucepan until the powder is dissolved; bring it to a boil over high heat, and let it boil for a full minute.
• Pour it into the fruit and stir for a couple of minutes
• Pour the jam into your containers, leaving a half-inch of "headspace" at the top
• Cover the containers and let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours
• The jam should thicken significantly overnight.  If it's too thick, stirring it will soften it up. If it's still too runny after 24 hours, pour it into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. It will get thicker as it cools, and you can re-bottle as before

Storing your Jam:

As the name implies, freezer jam is meant to be stored in the freezer. In fact, it will keep beautifully in the freezer for up to a year. You can also keep freezer jam in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Once you open a container of jam, you should use it within three weeks as well. Just remember never to keep freezer jam at room temperature, or it will spoil.