Peach Jalepeno Jam {Recipe ReDux}

The minute I read the theme for the month of August for an awesome blog link up I am part of, I let out a little YAY.   It’s all about food in jars for Recipe ReDux this month.

Raising the Bar on Food in a Jar – Ball or Mason jars used to be just for canning – but now they may be more likely used for overnight oats. How do you do food in a jar? Share your grandma’s favorite canning recipe. Or do you make portion-controlled desserts? How about snacks? Show us how you are raising the bar on what can be made (or served) in a jar!

I love jars. Love them.  Love how they are so simple and can be used for so many things.  Love that they remind me that you don’t need anything fancy to serve beverages out of.  Love that they remind me of past summers spent canning in the kitchen with my mom.  I have even purged my juice glasses over the last year and went with my half-pints (8 ounce jars for all you non-math lovers) for mealtime beverages or quick sips on the patio.  And they work great for liquid measures too.

Five ways I use half-pint jars:
1. Beverages
2. Store homemade pesto
3. Make pie in a jar – seriously – it is the best ever. No sharing because everyone has their own jar!
4. Serve soup.
5. Store homemade granola.
Oh yeah, and jam.

My daughter, the cautious food tryer, and sweet-loving girl, loves the taste of jam.  (Because it goes so nicely with peanut butter).  And it’s so easy to make (although, ehemm, Meal Makeover Moms, I would love that Jam Maker!).

Here are two of our favorites:

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Peach Jalapeño Jam
Makes 7-8 half pint jars.

  • 8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 4 jalapeños, halved and de-seeded
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter (to prevent foaming)
  • 1 package (1.75 ounce) powdered pectin
  • 8 (8 ounce) glass jars and bands to go with them
  1. In a food processor, add fresh peach slices and jalapeños and process until slightly chunky.  (Chunks are good)
  2. Add puree to a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Stir gently and often.  Add in sugar, lemon juice and pectin.  Stir until dissolved.  Add butter and simmer 15 minutes to thicken.
  3. Meanwhile, gently boil jars and lids in large pot to sterilize.  Once sterilized, use a funnel to fill jars with a ladle, leaving 1/2 inch of head space at the top of each jar.
  4. Wipe jar rims clean, place a lid on top and screw band just until tight.  Place all jars into a boiling water bath and process for 15 minutes.  Make sure water is covering the jars by at least an inch.
  5. Remove jars and let them cool completely in.  Jars should seal on their own (you will hear a clink as they seal).  If jar doesn’t seal (if you press down the center of the lid and it pops back up), store in refrigerator and use within three weeks.  You can also re-process the jars that didn’t seal in a boiling water bath.  Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year.  Don’t forget to label and date!

Peach Jalapeño Jam is perfect for sandwiches that involve pork or chicken, or splash in some of this jam with your favorite barbecue sauce and pour over meatballs for a sweet taste with a kick, or serve with Laughing Cow cheese and crackers.  It also makes a fun peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

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Strawberry Peach Jam

Making jam is a family activity and it’s fun.  My daughter helped cut up the strawberries while I peeled the peaches.  So delicious, you have to try this recipe.

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What’s your favorite jam recipe?

Be sure to check out all the other fun food in jars by my fellow registered dietitians.  You will be inspired to try something new, I guarantee it!

8 Comments

  1. Liz - Meal Makeover Mom on August 22, 2013 at 7:56 am

    Oh my dear Jen. The Ball Automatic Jam & Jelly Makeover giveaway is over and you were not the winner. I wish I could pull some strings with the Meal Makeover Moms and proclaim you the winner … but alas, I had no influence. Love your peach jam recipe, and the photos are adorable. Way to go! Will you be at FNCE this year? Hope so!

    • Jen Haugen on August 22, 2013 at 8:07 am

      I just had to throw that out there, you guys are so great at what you do! Someday I will grab a jam maker off the clearance shelf at Target like I should have last year…just loved your jam post! Thank you!

  2. nutritionbudgeteer on August 22, 2013 at 10:27 am

    Sounds like a interesting combination I’ve never had before. Agree that your jam sounds great with a chicken or pork sandwich or with meatballs.

  3. Patty @ Better Than Dorm Food on August 22, 2013 at 5:56 pm

    Peaches with a kick of jalapeno sounds absolutely delicious!

  4. Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil) on August 22, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    Ooooh two jam recipes – and I love the spicy heat with fruit combo – yum.

  5. Alex Caspero MA,RD (@delishknowledge) on August 22, 2013 at 10:33 pm

    Hey Jen! Love jams, i really need to make more while we have so much fruit around. The peach jalapeno sounds like the type of thing that Bryan would love! Thanks for sharing

  6. Unique Canning Recipes | Living The Simple Life on August 26, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    […] Peach Jalepeno Jam {Recipe ReDux} (jenhaugenrd.wordpress.com) […]

  7. What to do this weekend with your family! on February 24, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    […] complement the flavor well.  And for an easy sauce, mix one part barbecue sauce to one part peach jalapeño jam  and pour over after meatballs have finished cooking. […]

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