Can You Make Jam In A Slow Cooker

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

: Slow Cooker Peach Jam

I shouldn't complain about the weather as I love all the sunshine and it means our produce is growing and ripening well but it's been over 34℃ in our Kitchen Shed and for me, that's a tad too warm. The jam making season has well and truly begun, with raspberry jam and josta berry jam already stashed in the pantry ready to remind us of summer when it's cold and raining. I managed to get another bargain tray of peaches from the supermarket and just in case this might be our last bargain tray I wanted to make some peach jam. Although inspired by Joanne Harris's description of Vianne making peach jam, the thought of me and a hot jam pan in over thirty odd degrees heat did little for my enthusiasm. Perfect solution: use my slow cooker.
Making jam in the slow cooker is so easy as everything goes in the pot, you give it a couple of stirs and a few hours later you have a bright and tasty peach jam. I wanted a smooth jam so I whizzed it with a hand blender once the sugar had dissolved but you can omit this step if you prefer. Peaches are low in pectin, so added pectin is required to help the jam set. I like to use a packet of pectin (see photo) and sugar but you can buy ready mixed bags of jam sugar if you prefer.

This jam is so delicious I'm not sure it's going to make it to the pantry, we've already had some Slow Cooker Peach Jam with our homemade thick and creamy yoghurt. I feel a scone baking session is required – I'm drooling at the thought !

: Slow Cooker Peach Jam & Homemade Thick & Creamy Yogurt

How to sterilise jars

An easy way to sterilise jars is to pop clean jars in the microwave on full power for a couple of minutes.

Slow Cooker Peach Jam

Total time

3 hours 5 mins

1.2 kg peaches, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 kg sugar
1 packet of pectin ( I used Whitworths – see photo. Or you can use 1 kg of jam sugar instead of sugar and pectin)

A couple of saucers or plates to check the jam has set.
At least 4 sterilised jam jars and lids (jars washed on a hot dishwasher cycle and lids if you're not using new ones sterilised in boiling water for a couple of minutes.)

Place a couple of saucers or plates in the fridge ready to test your jam later.
Add chopped peaches and lemon juice to the slow cooker pot and stir.
Add sugar and pectin (or jam sugar) and stir. Pop on the lid and cook on low for one hour.
Remove lid and stir. (Don't worry, the sugar is unlikely to have fully dissolved yet)
Scrape down any sugar and replace the lid and cook on low for another hour. Stir your jam mixture and turn up your slow cooker to high – the sugar will have fully dissolved by now.
Replace the slow cooker lid but this time prop it open a little with a wooden spoon to allow the steam to escape.
Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours until set.
Check after 2 hours: drop a small amount of jam on to your chilled saucer. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then push gently with your finger tip. If the jam crinkles, setting point has been reached.
Mine did need the 3 hours but it very much depends on your slow cooker.
Transfer to sterilised jars and screw on lids.
Leave to cool.
Store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight and once opened store in the fridge.

The recipe works well with nectarines too.

3.5.3208

Pin Slow Cooker Peach Jam for later:

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.