1. Prep Your Peaches
Start with peaches that are ripe but not overripe. They should smell sweet and feel slightly soft to the touch.

• Wash them well: Peaches can have a bit of fuzz or residue, so give them a good rinse.
• Optional peeling trick: To peel easily, in boiling water blanch the peaches for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then put the peaches in an ice bath. The skins will slip right off! Don’t worry if you leave the skins on—they’ll add a beautiful pinkish hue to the jelly.
• Chop them up: Cut around the pits and dice the peaches into chunks. It doesn’t have to be pretty—this is all getting cooked down.

2. Cook the Peaches
Toss the chopped peaches into a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring everything to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer.

• Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Mash the peaches as they soften. I like to use a potato masher, but the back of a spoon works too.

This step extracts the juices for your peach jelly recipe.

3. Strain the Juice
Once the peaches are nice and mushy, it’s time to separate the juice from the pulp. Place a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a large bowl and carefully pour in the cooked peach mixture.

• Let it sit and drip for 2-3 hours. If you have time, refrigerate it overnight for maximum juice extraction.
• Resist the urge to squeeze the cheesecloth! This can make your jelly cloudy instead of crystal clear.

You should end up with about 4 cups of pure peach juice. If you’re a little short, you can top it off with water.

4. Make the Jelly Base
Now for the fun part—turning that golden juice into jelly!

• Pour the peach juice into a clean pot. Add the lemon juice and powdered pectin, stirring to combine.
• Use the maximum possible heat to bring up the mixture to a vigorous rolling boil. This boil cannot be stirred down—just see it bubble!
• Stir in the sugar all at once and keep stirring as it boils for 1-2 minutes. The jelly will start to thicken.

5. Test the Set
You don’t want jelly soup, so here’s a quick trick to check if it’s ready:

• Chill a small plate in the freezer. Drop a spoonful of jelly onto the plate and wait 30 seconds.
• Push it gently with your finger—if it wrinkles, you’re good to go! If not, boil for another minute and test again.

6. Jar and Seal
Ladle hot jelly carefully into your sterilized jars, having it about 1/4 inch of headspace left.

• Wipe the rims clean, place the lids on top, and tighten the bands.
• Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes to seal them properly.
• Remove and let them cool on a towel-lined counter.

You’ll know they’re sealed when the lids pop down with a satisfying ping.