Boozy Peach Jam

There's nothing quite like a fresh peach, but so often I end up with peaches that are woody or don't ripen beautifully. We invested in some beautiful peaches last month, but we ate them all before any could become jam. This recipe from Love & Olive Oil was intriguing enough that I text my husband and asked him to bring home 4 pounds of peaches. I knew we'd easily eat the extra pound because my son adores peaches. 

Boozy Peach Jam

3 lbs. ripe peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
6 Tbsp. lemon juice, divided
2 tsp. Pomona's Universal Pectin
1 1/2 tsp. calcium water
1/2 cup bourbon, divided

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X on the bottom of each peach, blanch for 30 seconds and then submerge in an ice water bath. Once cool, peaches should peel easily. Cut in half, remove pits, and then chop the rest of peaches into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. You should have about 5 cups of chopped fruit.

Toss peaches with 3 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 cup of sugar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, stirring once or twice to keep the peaches coated with their own juices. 

Once peaches have macerated, prepare jars and supplies for canning. 

Combine remaining sugar and pectin, and set aside.

Bring to a simmer, and cook 10-15 minutes, mashing as it softens, to get to the desired consistency. Add remaining lemon juice, calcium water and 6 Tbsp. of bourbon. Bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Whisk in sugar/pectin, stirring continuously until mixture returns to a full boil. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. bourbon, and remove from heat. (If you prefer a kid-friendly jam, omit the last of the bourbon or add it all prior to boiling.) 

Ladle jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Cool completely, and refrigerate any unsealed jars.