Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Rest the fruit
- Combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt in a heavy pot and stir until the sugar looks moistened. Rest 30 min at room temperature, stirring once halfway so the juices start flowing.
Simmer to thick jam
- Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring continuously to prevent sticking. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 min, stirring often, until thick and glossy.
Finish and test set
- Stir in bourbon and keep it at low heat for only the last 2 min so the flavor stays nuanced. Turn off the heat and test the set by dropping a little jam onto a cold plate; it should wrinkle when pushed.
Jar and store
- Ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving appropriate headspace and wiping rims clean. Process jars for 10 min in a water bath, or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Pro tip: use a cold plate for the set test—chill the plate briefly in the freezer so the jam cools fast and shows the real texture. Refrigerate peach bourbon jam up to 3 weeks after chilling; for longer storage, freeze is not recommended because texture can weaken after thawing. For a lower-sugar swap, replace up to half the sugar with a low-sugar jam alternative while keeping the full simmer time to reach a thick set.