Peach Marmalade (no pectin)
Summer ripe peaches, oranges, lemons and sugar are boiled (without pectin) to make this sweet and citrusy peach marmalade.
Great jam, little effort (4 simple ingredients).
I adore peaches. We have a short peach season in Toronto so I try to use them every way I can – for breakfast, main dishes, sides, appetizers and dessert.
This peach marmalade is an old recipe from my mother. She made it when the strawberry jam was starting to run out and local peaches were available at the grocery store.
Back in the day, I wasn’t crazy about the tartness of marmalade. Now I love it. I find the orange and lemon citrus notes tone down the sweetness of the sugar and add depth to the peaches. It tastes like peach jam with a bit of tang.
To be fair, this recipe is really a cross between peach marmalade and peach jam. The process is similar, but a marmalade typically has a citrus base with whole or cut oranges. So it would contain more citrus fruits and much less peaches. This recipe is the opposite with peaches as the star. We add orange and lemon juice to give it that marmalade taste.
Bottom line: Whatever you want to call it, this easy marmalade recipe is wickedly good. It’s a small batch recipe with no need for fruit pectin, canning jars, a canning funnel or a water bath canner. Sweet and tangy with less sugar than normal jams.
Basic steps
- Prepare the peaches: The process for making the no pectin marmalade is similar to our Homemade Strawberry Jam. You do have to peel and slice the peaches, but don’t be intimidated. It’s a snap when you plunge them into a pot of boiling water for 60-90 seconds, then let cold water from the tap run over them. The peach skin literally falls off, leaving you with smooth, silky peaches ready to slice.
- Cook for 20-30 minutes: Boil the peaches, orange zest, orange sections, lemon juice and sugar.
- Store: Spoon the room temperature peach marmalade into clean jars that have been run through the dishwasher or under boiling water, then refrigerate for up to 2-3 months.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Here are some variations to try.
- Vary the amount of orange zest and lemon. Just keep tasting and adjusting until you’re happy with the balance.
- If you prefer a sweeter jam, add the full amount of sugar suggested. I tend to add the lower amount.
- For chunkier marmalade (my fave), don’t squish the peaches as much.
- You can also add a few sprinkles of cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla if you like when the jam is almost finished cooking.
- If you prefer homemade peach jam, just leave out the orange zest and oranges. Adjust the sweet and tartness to your liking with lemon and sugar.
Step by step instructions
Shortcut
- Use frozen, peeled, sliced peaches – thawed. Use the same amount in the recipe, including most of the juice.
How to Enjoy Peach Marmalade
- In addition to using it as a condiment for toast and scones, try using it on ice cream, grilled chicken or pork tenderloin.
Make Ahead/Storing
- This peach marmalade recipe has no pectin and doesn’t use a canning process, so it’s not the kind you store in your basement for a year or two.
- It will, however, keep in the fridge for 2-3 months.
Other peach recipes you might like
- peach crumble with oats
- peach compote (5 minute prep, no-cook)
- peach jam recipe without pectin (this is a low sugar peach jam)
- easy peach tarte titin (for beginners)
- maple salmon with peach salsa
- savory peach sauce
- chicken quesadillas with peach and brie
Or check out our full list of best peach recipes.
If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟with a comment in the recipe card below. Thanks so much!
Peach Marmalade (no pectin)
Summer ripe peaches, oranges, lemons and sugar are boiled (without pectin) to make this sweet and tangy peach marmalade. Great jam, little effort.
Servings: 48 tbsp (or 3 cups)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds fresh peaches (about 12 medium peaches)
- 2 medium oranges (or one large)
- 2 1/2 cups sugar (or use 3 cups if you like it sweeter)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- PREPARE JARS FOR STORAGE: Run 2-3 jars (depending on size) through the dishwasher or washed in very hot water. You will make about 3 cups of marmalade.
- PEEL AND SLICE PEACHES: For easy peeling, carefully drop peaches into a pot of boiling water. Boil for 60-90 seconds. Drain water and run cold water over peaches in pot. Slip skins off the peaches. Use small paring knife to peel stubborn spots if needed. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Slice or chop into smaller pieces. Note 1.
- PREPARE ORANGES: Zest an orange and set aside. Peel orange(s) and cut inside flesh into small pieces. Remove large pieces of whitish fibrous layers. You should have about 1 cup.
- PREPARE MIXTURE TO COOK: Place peaches, zest, oranges, sugar and lemon juice in a large pot (mixture should only take up about 1/3 of pot). Squish the mixture with a potato masher or your hands. (I use my hands). It's ok to leave some chunks of peaches.
- COOKING PROCESS: Heat mixture to medium-high heat and bring to a full rolling boil. Lower heat to medium heat (6 on my dial) and boil on a medium rolling boil for 20-30 minutes (depending on how loose or thick you like your marmalade), stirring occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom. The amount of time will depend on speed of boil and size of pot. (Note 2 – how to tell marmalade is done.) Taste and adjust flavors as needed e.g. add a bit more lemon juice or sugar as you like.
- STORE THE MARMALADE: Pour marmalade fruit mixture into jars. Cool to room temperature, place lids on jars tightly and store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
- To cut peaches easily and remove pits: I make 8-10 slices around the peach from end to end. Then slip the slices off the pit.
- How to tell if marmalade is done: If you have a candy/fry thermometer, look for a temperature of 210-220F/99-104C. If you don’t, scoop up some marmalade with a spoon and let it drip off the spoon. If it drips off very quickly, cook some more. If it drips slowly and coats the spoon, it’s done.
- Variations
- Vary the amount of orange zest and lemon. Just keep tasting and adjusting until you’re happy with the balance.
- If you prefer a sweeter jam, add the full amount of sugar suggested. I tend to add the lower amount.
- For chunkier marmalade (my fave), don’t squish the peaches as much.
- Add a few sprinkles of cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla if you like when the jam is almost finished cooking.
- If you prefer homemade peach jam, just leave out the orange zest and oranges. Adjust the sweet and tartness to your liking with lemon and sugar.
- Make Ahead: This peach marmalade recipe has no pectin (the lemon acts as a natural pectin) and doesn’t use a canning process, so it’s not the kind you store in your basement for a year or two. It will, however, keep in the fridge in well sealed containers for 2-3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!
Made this peach marmalde ….a taste of days gone past ….very easy but gave no hint of how much it made to determine who many jars id need ..ha just winged it ..
Hi Linda, The recipe makes about 3 cups as stated under ‘servings’ which is near the top of the recipe card (under the prep/cook/total times). I will find a way to make the yield more prominent. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Love this thank you , made some today, also after it’s cooled do you think putting the extra in freezer bags for later thill the jars run out ?
Yes, you can definitely freeze the jam in freezer bags. Try to get as much air out as possible and leave a little room at the top as the jam night expand a bit when freezing. Thanks for leaving a comment – always appreciated.
Hi. Could this be made without sugar?
I’m not sure zero sugar will work. I found this on the internet “Sugar also acts as a preservative, firms the structure of the fruit, and helps the jam or jelly hold its color and flavor”. You could certainly try less though. Or experiment and see what happens (it may be a bit runny so you would have to cook it longer). I hope that helps.
Thank you for your response. I’m just wondering if there would be enough natural sweetness? And I did find a recipe online for ways to make peach jam and thicken it with arrow root powder BUT it’s a recipe for peach jam and not marmalade…so just wondering how it’ll all work out! I guess I could just try it without sugar and see?
Go for it! I think it will be fine if your peaches are sweet. Cook the jam for longer. The lemon and orange zest will act as thickener as well. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it worked. Good luck!
This is the only recipe I could find where citrus was paired with peaches for a preserve. I’ve got a ton of peaches and kumquats that are ripe and ready. Going to give a go today. I’m betting its going to be quite good.
Well I love it, but I guess I’m a bit biased 🙂 Others do too, though, and I hope you’ll be one of them! Let us know Nikk!
I’ve just made this recipe for the first time, Cheryl, after Judi had highly recommended it and I’d made your delicious strawberry jam a few weeks back. While this was a bit more work prepping than the strawberry one, it was so worth the effort! Love it, love it, love it!
Thanks so much Joy! Glad you loved it and really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
Can I water bath this in jars
Looks like it’s fine to do that. Here’s what I found when I looked it up “There is no evidence that pectin prolongs the shelf life of your food. … When it comes to long-term food storage, use a water bath to can your jars as normal, or store your jars of jam in the freezer for up to a year.” Hope that helps.
Outstanding recipe. Simple and very tasty. You can adjust to your own sweetness.
Thank you Amy!
Just tried this recipe.It was very easy to follow. Result was perfect. I added one more tablespoon of lemon juice to balance the sweetness according to my taste. Made it from homegrown peaches. Thanks for the excellent recipe.
So glad you liked the recipe. Homegrown peaches – lucky you! I’m jealous 🙂
So delicious. First time making jam and Your instructions are very clear and easy to follow. I love all the options and tips you give. I will definitely make it again.
Thanks Judi! So glad you liked the recipe. An old tried and true one.
Liked it so much I just made it again! Wonderful gift if I do t eat it all!
Thanks Judi! I just made a second batch too 🙂
Don’t usually do peach anything but this changed my Mind!
Glad it converted you! I expect you’ll be making it again 🙂
Can this be canned for longer storage.
Hi Barb. No, preserving is a different process and I’m not an expert. I suggest you google canning or preserving if you want to do that. Here’s a 101 article that might be helfpul as a start. https://foodinjars.com/canning-101-archive/. Good luck!
I’m normally not one for marmalade but this is awesome
I made it. It is delicious!!
Glad you liked it! Thanks so much for letting us know.