Peach and habanero pepper jam

Peach and habanero pepper jam

A fiery and sweet jam which lets you enjoy peaches all year long

Bring on the heat!! We love to combine sweet and spicy, fresh and fiery, and this jam does all of that.  This year, for the first time, we opted to plant habanero peppers in the garden instead of our usual jalapenos.  So many habaneros meant we had to get creative, and so we decided to make a jam which combines the summer fresh taste of peaches, with the fiery heat of habaneros.  And it’s delicious!

One of us got into canning long before Mia Kouppa, and has always enjoyed putting new spins on classic flavour combinations.  Once you get the hang of canning the possibilities are endless.  Canning is a wonderful way to preserve the bounty of summer, and also a great way to let your creativity soar.
Peach and habanero pepper jam
Helpful hints
Canning is not hard, but there is a science behind it.  Do your research if you are going to be coming up with your own recipes; processing times, sugar amounts etc… vary depending upon whether you are dealing with an acidic or alkaline food.  The recipe listed below is detailed enough to get you safely canning this peach and habanero pepper jam.
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It is important to use the best quality and freshest ingredients when making jam.  Be sure that your peaches are ripe, unblemished and delicious.  The better the fruit, the better the jam will be.
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Habanero peppers are super hot.  For a while they were listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the hottest pepper, although that distinction has now gone to a new pepper.  We used 3 habaneros for this jam; it gives a very fiery spread.  If you’re not sure that you will like that much heat, simply add fewer peppers.
It is always a good idea to wear disposable gloves when handling hot peppers, and to cut them on a paper towel which you will also use to collect the seeds.  Even with gloves, it is important to wash your hands well when you are done, as well as the knife you used to cut your habaneros.
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We love using spicy jams like this one as appetizers.  Spread on a toasted baguette or cracker and then topped with your favourite cheese, this is sure to be a hot favourite!
Looking for some other pretty party appetizers? How about these?

Pin this recipe if you like it

Peach and habanero pepper jam
Peach and habanero pepper jam
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Peach and habanero pepper jam

Peach and habanero pepper jam

Peach and habanero pepper jam

A fiery sweet jam that help you enjoy peaches year round
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiments and spreads
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 day
Servings: 6 jars (250 ml)
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

  • 6 canning jars (250 ml)
  • 6 canning snap lids and bands
  • canning funnel
  • jar lifter
  • pot large enough to hold your jars upright
  • plastic disposable gloves or dish washing gloves

Ingredients

  • 5 peaches
  • 2 to 3 habanero peppers see recipe note
  • 57 grams fruit pectin powder
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 5 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

To sterilize your jars

  • Wash your jars well with warm soapy water; do this even if your jars are new. At this time, check your jars to be sure that they are not cracked, chipped or broken.
  • Fill your large canning pot with water and add your jars (without lids). Be sure that they are submerged in the water. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat to medium. Leave jars in there until you are ready to fill them.

To prepare jam

  • Wash your peaches and cut them in half to remove pits. Once the pits are removed, if the area around where the pit was is especially dark, cut it away with a sharp knife. Cut your peaches into chunks. 5 peaches should give you about 5 cups of chopped fruit.
  • Prepare your habanero peppers by washing them and then, wearing your disposable or dish washing gloves, cut off the stem. Cut the pepper in half and discards the seeds and inner ribbing. Cut the peppers into smaller pieces.
  • Blend the peaches and habanero peppers in a blender until smooth and no chunks remain. You will have to do this in batches.
  • Pour your pureed fruit into a large pot and add the lemon juice and fruit pectin. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Add the sugar to the fruit and stir well to combine. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Stir constantly (we like to use a large whisk at this point). Once you have achieved a rolling boil that does not go away even as you are stirring, continue to cook for one more minute.
  • Remove fruit from heat. You will notice that you have some foam which has developed on the surface, at the edges of the pot. Using a spoon, skim off the foam.
  • Remove your canning jars from the hot water, lifting them carefully using the jar lifter. At this point, place your canning snap lids and bands in a bowl of hot water. We like to transfer some of the water from the large pot into a smaller bowl for this as it makes it easier to then remove the snap lids and bands.
  • Place the canning funnel into your jars, one at a time, and use a ladle to fill the jars with the jam (which is still quite liquid at this point). Fill, leaving 1/4 inch space on the top. Repeat with the rest of the jars. You may find that you have only completely filled 5 of your jars and that you have some jam left over, but not enough to completely fill a 6th jar. If this is the case, simply put your excess jam in any container and store it in the refrigerator without processing it.
  • Once all of your jars are filled, use a non-metallic spoon (we like to use a wooden coffee stir stick) to remove any air bubbles in your jars. Do this by gently stirring your spoon or stick around in your jar. If doing so leaves you with more than 1/4 inch of head space on the top, add more jam.
  • Carefully remove the snap lids and bands from the hot water. Cover your jars with these two pieces and be careful not to over tighten your bands.
  • Using your jar lifter, transfer your jars to your large pot which is still filled with hot water. Be careful to keep your jars upright.
  • Cover your pot and bring the water to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and remove your jars carefully using your jar lifter. Allow them to rest on a flat surface, undisturbed, for 24 hours. You will hear the popping sound of your jars being sealed. If any of your jars do not seal (meaning you can still press down on the snap lid and feel some give), simply store your jam in the fridge to be used within several weeks.
  • Properly processed jars will keep for months, and up to a year, at room temperature. Refrigerate jam after opening.

Notes

Habanero peppers are very hot.  We like to make a pretty fiery jam and therefore use 3 habanero peppers.  Feel free to use only 2 if you want to go milder.

Thanks for sharing!

18 Comments

  1. Thank you for following my blog!

  2. This really looks like my kind of accompaniment. I reckon this would go brilliantly with cheese.

    1. miakouppa says:

      Yes!!! We love savoury and spicy jams as part of an appetizer platter. They go great with all sorts of cheese, and crackers or baguettes 😉

  3. Hello. I am newly learning to preserve foods. I have learned about ensuring the proper ph and acidity in a recipe to avoid potential for botulism, etc. Is this recipe tested to ensure safety? I would love to use it if so, and you mention above it is safe. But I wanted to ask and determine if it was tested. Thanks!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Holly! Thanks for your message. If you are wondering if it was “officially” tested, then the answer is no. However, all of the canning steps and advice we offer is based upon well researched guidance. Hope that helps. If you are still concerned, but want to try the recipe, you can consider making a smaller batch and keeping it immediately in the refrigerator for use within a few weeks.

  4. Can you use liquid pectin instead of powdered?

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Shari, For sure, simply follow the directions on the packaging but it should work just as well.

  5. Do you peel the peaches?

    1. miakouppa says:

      Nope, just wash them well and keep the peel on 🙂

  6. Beenita N says:

    Hi I was wondering if you can use frozen peaches. I made this last delicious jam for the first time last and my family and friends loved it. I wanted to make some to gift to them this year but peaches are not in season right now. I found frozen peaches at the grocery store and thought it could work but I don’t know, please advise.

    Next summer I will be on it and make lots as soon as they are in season.

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Beenita! We’re so thrilled that you loved our jam recipe, and that you find it good enough to gift 🙂 You can definitely use frozen peaches for this recipe – simply thaw them before proceeding with the recipe. Since frozen fruit often loses some of its pectin (as as during the thawing process), you may need to add more pectin than what is called for in the recipe – you can judge as you are cooking your jam. Hope that helps, and enjoy! xoxo Helen & Billie

      1. Beenita Narayan says:

        Hi Helen & Billie!! Thanks for the reply. I have one more question; can Monk Fruit sweetener be used to make a sugar version?

      2. miakouppa says:

        Good question! Although we can understand that this would be an appealing option, canning is quite a science, and all the ingredients are carefully selected in order to make sure that the pH of the jam you end up with is safe following the high heat exposure during the canning process. Alternative sweeteners, like monk fruit, have not been tested for safety in canning as far as we know, so we would advise against it. If you do want to use monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar, what you can do is make a small batch of jam that you then keep in your refrigerator for up to a week, without canning it. This won’t be suitable for gifts, but will be lovely on your morning toast 🙂 Hope that helps! xoxo Helen & Billie

  7. Have you ever tried this as a freezer jam? Just curious if it would hold up the same?

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi there, No we haven’t but it should work just fine. 🙂 Helen & Billie

  8. Hello –
    Do you have a cup equivalent for the peaches and habaneros in your recipe since peaches can vary in size?

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi there, 3 1/2 to 4 cups of chopped peaches should work out well. Enjoy! xoxo Helen & Billie

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