Nectarine Jam

Nectarine jam is one of the most fruit forward of the stone fruit jams.

The nectarine is the fuzz-free version of its kindred, the peach. Many people prefer nectarines to peaches for this very reason. But a nectarine is not just a bald peach! One of the better traits of the nectarine is that it has a much thinner skin than the peach, making it better for jam.

You see, all of the pectin is located in the skin. So you do not want to peel stone fruit prior to making jam. Otherwise you’d need to add pectin.

That having been said, you absolutely can substitute peaches in this recipe. Just keep in mind that often, peaches are a little smaller than nectarines. So you may have to adjust your fruit count to accommodate.

We planted our nectarine tree shortly after moving in to the farmstead. I had always wanted peaches and nectarines because the sugar and juiciness is much higher from a fruit fresh picked, rather than one picked early and shipped to a grocery store.

Nectarine trees are easy to grow in warmer climates such as California and the southeastern United States. They probably first were cultivated in southern China from a mutation of a peach.

If you love stone fruit jams like I do, also check out my small batch Apricot Jam recipe.

Nectarines are packed with antioxidants, which is why they are often touted for improving your skin health. They are also high in both vitamins and fiber, so they even have a reputation for boosting weight loss. How do you like that? Eating jam can help you lose weight! 🙂

Why You’ll Love this Nectarine Jam Recipe

When the nectarines start ripening on our tree out in the orchard, I get pretty excited. We have a lot of fruit in our orchard, but peaches and nectarines are my absolute favorite.

This recipe is great because it uses no pectin!
It whips up in about 25 minutes
You only need three ingredients. All fresh.
It is so simple compared to other jams and jellies. Like it thick? Just cook a little longer
It is flexible – you can sub in other stone fruit if you don’t have nectarines. I once made this with half apricots and half peaches, and the result was divine!!
You do not need to can – although if you want to make it shelf stable, you certainly can in a water bath canner for 10 minutes
The flavor is just amazing.

Ingredients

Approximately 4 cups unpeeled, pitted and diced nectarines. From our tree, that was about 8 nectarines. The pectin is in the skin, so it is important not to peel the nectarines to avoid adding artificial pectin.
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon. This increases the acidity for preserving the jam and the color, so do not skip this ingredient.
2 Cups granulated sugar to allow the nectarine flavors to shine through. You can add an additional half cup of sugar if you prefer your jam a little sweeter.

Making Nectarine Jam

Add the unpeeled diced nectarines, lemon and sugar to a wide pan. I like using a large pan because it gives you more surface area on the heat to evenly cook the batch. This will ensure your jam thickens before the color turns brown
Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
Reduce heat to low and continue checking and stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the jam has reached the desired consistency. Your jam is done when you can run your spoon down the middle of the mixture and the jam does not backfill the hole.
Transfer to jelly jars. I needed 4 half pint jars for 8 nectarines. Store in the fridge up to a month. If canning, use a water bath canner for 10 minutes.