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Peach Preserves Recipe

Peach preserves with vanilla bean and crystallized ginger cook into an amber syrup with sweet, chewy ginger jewels. Macerate peaches for bright fruit flavor, then simmer to thick set with large bubbles before jar filling.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
macerate 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 57
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Peaches
  • 4 cup peaches, peeled and cut into large chunks
Sugar
  • 3 cup granulated sugar
Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
Cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla bean
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
Salt
  • 1 salt Pinch
Crystallized ginger
  • 1 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Macerate the peaches
  1. Combine peach chunks with sugar and lemon juice. Let them stand at room temperature for 1 hour until syrupy and fragrant, with the fruit visibly softened.
Cook the preserves
  1. Add the vanilla bean and crystallized ginger to the pot. Keep the mixture over medium heat just until it comes together and the ginger is evenly distributed.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Look for steady bubbling across the surface that doesn’t stop when you stir.
  3. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 35-45 minutes until thick and glossy. Watch for large bubbles that rise and burst slowly, indicating a set.
Jar and store
  1. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the pot. Strain or stir once so the seeds are dispersed and the preserves look uniform.
  2. Test the set, then ladle into sterilized jars. The preserve should cling to the spoon with a thick, amber sheet that wrinkles as it cools.
  3. Process the jars for 10 minutes or refrigerate for up to 1 month. Cool completely before checking seals; chilled jars should be stored cold for best texture.

Notes

Pro tip: for a clean set, avoid boiling aggressively after it starts thickening—stay at medium so the bubbles remain large and controlled. Refrigerate preserves up to 1 month; freezing is not recommended for this preserve texture. If you want a lower-sugar version, reduce granulated sugar by about 25% and cook until it reaches the same thick, wrinkle-on-cold-spoon stage.