Slow Cooker Peach Jam

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Delicious Slow Cooker Peach Jam and only 3 ingredients ! Take the heat out of jam making and let your Crockpot do all the work for you.

Is it too hot to boil up a jam pan in your kitchen ? I have the perfect solution: make jam in your slow cooker.

Firstly, set your CrockPot to low heat for the fruit and sugar to cook.

Next switch over to high with the lid propped open to achieve setting point. A slow cooker’s relatively large surface area means water can evaporate just like in a preserving pan. And then, the slow cooker’s higher heat setting is enough to set the jam.

It’s so super simple to make my Slow Cooker Peach Jam. All you need is fresh peaches or nectarines, lemon juice and a bag of jam sugar. Jam making couldn’t be easier !

Everything goes in the Slow Cooker pot and you give it a couple of stirs. Quick whizz with a hand blender and a few hours later you have a deliciously smooth peach jam. No need to stand over a hot stove in the sweltering heat of summer.

I love the vibrant colour of this peach jam and its fresh natural taste of summer fruit. We love it on our homemade scones or on a slice of toast. I also use it for baking – ideal in a Victoria sponge or as an alternative glaze for my Apple Frangipane Tart.

I shouldn’t complain about the weather as I love all the sunshine and it means produce is growing and ripening. But it’s been over 34℃ inside our Kitchen Shed and, work wise for me, that’s a tad too warm.

That’s why my slow cooker is in almost constant use throughout the summer for jams and chutneys.
Courgettes become plentiful in the hot weather and via the slow cooker they make a really tasty spicy courgette chutney.

What equipment do I need ?

• A slow cooker – I used a 4 to 6 person (4.7 litre) CrockPot.
• A couple of tea plates or saucers placed in the fridge before you start making the jam.
• A ladle.
• A jam funnel – definitely something I wouldn’t be without as it saves a lot of mess and waste.
• Sterilised jam jars and lids.
• An immersion blender – I used my Bamix. Alternatively, you could use a potato masher but this won’t give such a smooth jam. Equally, you could just leave the fruit as it is.

How to sterilise jars and lids

• Sterilise jars shortly before they are to be used. This minimises time in which the jars might pick up new bacteria and ruin your jam. Make sure your jars are dry when you come to fill them.
• I like to sterilise jam jars in the microwave. Simply wash and rinse jars as normal but whilst they are wet, pop them in the microwave. Two minutes in the microwave on full power is generally enough to do the trick.
• Remember the jars will be very hot, so remove with care.
• Alternatively, wash jars in the dishwasher on a hot cycle.
• Always sterilise more jars and lids than you think you will need.
• Sterilise lids in boiling water for a couple of minutes.

What Ingredients Do I Need ?

• Peaches – ripe fruit in season will give the best flavour. Peaches are low in pectin, so added pectin is required to help the jam set. Nectarines, plums and apricots also make an excellent slow cooker jam.
• Lemon – lemon juice adds acid to the jam which works with pectin to aid gel formation.
• Jam sugar – jam sugar has pectin added and it’s ready to use. Feel free to use granulated sugar or preserving sugar and add pectin.

How To Make Slow Cooker Jam

If you’re new to jam making, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s a lot easier than stove top jam making. There’s no need for a thermometer to check the setting point. It’s simply a case of simmer away until your jam is nice and thick.

• Add skinned and chopped peaches and lemon juice to the slow cooker pot and stir.
• Add jam sugar and stir. Pop on the lid and cook on low for one hour.

• Stir after an hour, scraping down any sugar from around the edges. Cook on low for another hour.

• Stir your jam mixture and turn your slow cooker to high – the sugar will have fully dissolved by now.

• I wanted a smooth jam so I whizzed it with a hand blender once the sugar had dissolved. Obviously, you can omit this step if you prefer.
• Replace the slow cooker lid propped open a little with a wooden spoon to allow steam to escape.

• Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours until set.

• Check after 2 hours by dropping a small amount of jam onto a chilled saucer. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then push gently through the cooled jam with your finger tip. If the jam crinkles, setting point has been reached.

• Ladle into sterilised jars and screw on lids.

A note on canning and water bathing

Here in the UK, we don’t generally use the water bath method to make jams and jellies.

Jars and lids are sterilised before filling. Once jars are filled with hot jam and sealed, the lids form a vacuum seal during cooling. Within the airtight jar, the sugar and acid content is high enough to preserve the jam or jelly.

If you do wish to water bath Slow Cooker Peach Jam, follow your jar manufacturer’s instructions.

How long does it last ?

Slow Cooker Peach Jam will keep for up to a year in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 4 weeks.

How to use Slow Cooker Peach Jam

Perfect in a Victoria Sponge.
On toast, waffles or pancakes.
Spooned onto a buttered homemade scone.
Use to make a glaze to top fruit tarts.

More Slow Cooker Preserving Recipes

• Apple Chutney
• Pumpkin and Cranberry Chutney
• Zucchini Chutney

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I’m Entering my Slow Cooker Peach Jam recipe into a few food challenges this month:

• The Slow Cooker Challenge, hosted by Janice over at Farmers Girl Kitchen.
• Credit Crunch Munch created by Helen and Camilla, hosted this month by Elizabeth over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
• The Vegetable Palette, hosted and created by Shaheen over at Allotment 2 Kitchen.
• Ren Behan’s Simple and in Season hosted this month by Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
• Recipe Of the Week hosted and created by Emily over at A Mummy Too.
• Lucy’s Cook Blog Share over at Super Golden Bakes.