Of the five jams that we made last week (maybe of all the jams I have ever made), this is my very favorite. Fresh ripe peaches and flecks of vanilla bean. And low in sugar. What could be better.
Try it mixed into some homemade yogurt, or on top of ice cream.
It is still too early in the season here for freestone peaches, but there are some good deals at the farmers market on some luscious, ripe non-freestone varieties. And for jam, these are perfect!
To quickly and easily remove the peach skin, blanch the peaches in simmering water for 15-30 seconds, then transfer to an ice water bath.
When making jam, the easiest way to crush your peaches, especially non-freestone varieties, is to take the whole peeled peach in your hand (over a large bowl) and squeeze. If your peaches are ripe, which they should be for a good jam, the peach flesh will be crushed through your fingers, leaving you with just the pit in your hand. Kids love this job!
To get as much vanilla flavor in this jam as I could without overcooking the peaches, I combined the crushed peaches with some lemon juice, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp stevia in a large bowl. Then I added the vanilla bean (cut the bean in half lengthwise, then use the tip of a knife to scrape all of the seeds into the bowl with the fruit); stir in both the seeds and the vanilla bean halves. Let peach mixture sit for 2-3 hours, or overnight (in the refrigerator).
Leave the vanilla bean in while cooking the jam, removing it just before filling your jars.
I love vanilla bean flecks!
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RECIPE:
Low Sugar Peach Vanilla Jam
5 cups crushed peaches (about 4 1b)
1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
½ tsp powdered stevia or 1 tsp liquid stevia
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 vanilla bean
1 box low-sugar pectin
Combine peaches, 1 cup sugar, stevia, and lemon juice in a large saucepan or bowl. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds into bowl with peaches. Stir in the vanilla bean pod. Let sit for 2-3 hours or overnight (cover and refrigerate if leaving overnight).
Mix pectin with ¼ cup sugar. Stir into peach mixture. Bring to a hard boil (boiling doesn’t stop when stirred) over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean pod.
Ladle into jars, leaving 1/8” headspace. Wipe rims of jars. Place lids on jars.
Place jars in a boiling bath canner or steam canner. Return water to a gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Cool on a towel on kitchen counter for 24 hours. Check seal.
Yield: 5-6 half-pint jars
Note: Peaches, stevia brands, and personal taste vary. Taste jam after cooking; if needed, add small amounts of additional sugar or stevia until desired sweetness. Return jam to a full rolling boil after adding any additional ingredients.
NoEmptyChairs.me
No Empty Chairs 
That looks heavenly. Love the vanilla bean speckles. I can’t wait for peach season here! Soon, very soon….
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I am making your jam as I write this (2-3 hour waiting period before cooking) and I would do it again just for the process! Between the delicious smell of fresh peach all over the house and the awesome feeling of squishing the peaches in your hand and the who-doesn’t-love-working-with vanilla-beans, this is the most fun I’ve had canning. And PS, peaches are so easy to peel compared to tomatoes! Also, I’d love to know if you have used Stevia in other recipes, since I’m always looking for good, yummy ways to cut sugar. Thanks so much!
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I love working with peaches too-easy to peel, no tiny seeds to strain, and it is a lot of fun squishing them between your fingers.
I have had good luck substituting stevia in fruit based recipes, like pies and cobblers, and in cheesecakes. Or for small amounts of sweetening in things like oatmeal, smoothies, marinades and sauces. I have not been very successful using it in recipes where sugar also provides bulk, not just sweetness-things like cookies and baked goods.
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Thanks again. I looked at some of your other jam recipes and will very likely try some of them, too. The stevia worked great in this one. It is delish.
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I am glad it turned out well. Which brand of stevia did you use?
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NuNaturals NuStevia White Stevia powder
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Can you use spenda instead of Stevia? And if so, how much in this recipe fro vanilla peach jam?
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I have never used splenda, but I think the no-sugar-needed pectin box gives amounts of splenda to use in a batch of jam. Since splenda measures like sugar, you should be able to just substitute equal amounts, as long as you use the pectin made for low or no sugar. I have heard that splenda tends to make jam more cloudy than regular sugar.
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This is pretty much the most delicious jam ever! I put up three half pints with some peaches that were on their way out, and it was so good that I bought four more pounds of peaches yesterday to do another batch! Thanks for the awesome low sugar recipe.
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I’m so glad you like it. This is my favorite jam; I love how using less sugar actually makes it taste MORE like fresh peaches.
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Hi Kelly I just found your recipe and willing to give a try my question is if you can replace Stevia for Honey and have same results or even healthier using honey ?
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I have never used honey in making jam. You could try it, but it will have a different taste than sugar or stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener, but I have not been successful using all stevia in jam making; the jam turns out with a much better gel if you use some sugar in the recipe.
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