Peach Jam with Bourbon

Sweet peaches with a touch of bourbon make the perfect jam for bread or as a topping for ice cream.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 3 pints

Ingredients

2 pounds ripe not soft peaches (about 5 medium)
2 TBL Lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 TBL bourbon

Instructions

Peel the peaches (the easiest way is to make an X at the bottom of the peach and drop them in a pot of boiling water for about 1 minute. Take them out and drop them in a bowl of water with ice. Let them cool for a minute and slide the skins off) Remove the pit, set aside.
Add the lemon juice to a large, no reactive bowl. Chop the peaches and add to the lemon juice. Stir as you go to prevent browning.
When the peaches are chopped, mash the peaches a bit. Use a potato masher. You are looking for a chunky puree.
Add the sugar and stir. There should be a good amount of juice at this point. If not, let the peaches sit in the sugar for a while.
Place the mixture in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook, stirring frequently, until a dollop placed on a plate no longer weeps. This will take about 10 minutes.
Remove the jam from the heat and stir in the bourbon.
Ladle into hot, prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove bubble and wipe rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw the bands on until they are finger tight.
Place the jars on a rack in the canning pot with boiling water and cover the pot. When the water in the pot returns to a boil, boil for 10 minutes for half pint jars and 15 minutes for full pints.
Remove the jars from the water bath canner and place them on a towel on the counter. Do not move them.
After 24 hours, check the seals. The lid should not have a "bubble" on the top. If you didn't hear the "ping" sound that is made when the jars are removed from the hot water, you need to refrigerate the jar of jam. Make sure to label and date your jars. Store in a cool dark place for about a year.