• If you will be canning the jam, Prepare a canner, jars, and lids. Wash your jars and lids. Sterilize your jars in a large pot filled with water. Bring the water to almost a simmer over medium heat. Keep the jars in the simmering water over low heat until you are ready to fill them. Use a jar lifter to remove them from the water when you are ready to fill them, dumping the hot water back into the pot when you remove each jar from the water. Before you can, put your lids in a small pot or bowl with hot, but not boiling, water. Put some white vinegar in a small bowl alongside a clean washcloth or paper towel. Keep the water in your canning pot at a simmer while you fill your jars. See The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving for additional guidance.
• Put a small plate in the freezer.
• Wash and peel peaches. One option to peel peaches is to boil them for 30 seconds, then put them in an ice bath. This works especially well for ripe peaches but not so well for less-than-ripe peaches.
• Chop peaches and place them in a bowl.
• Add 6 cups sugar and stir well. If you are adding vanilla bean pods, add them now.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 and up to 48 hours.
• After macerating, place peaches and syrup into a large, wide pot, jam pan, or preserving pan.
• Bring the fruit/sugar mixture slowly to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently.
• Continue to boil gently for 30-40 minutes, until the peaches are clear and the syrup is thick. Stir frequently to prevent peach preserves from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Turn off the heat.
• Test for doneness. Remove the plate from the freezer and put a small dollop of preserves on the plate. Return it to the freezer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and run your finger through the jam. It is done if the trail your finger made is not immediately filled with preserves. Additionally, look for the preserves to ‘wrinkle.’

To Water Bath Process

• Spoon your preserves into hot sterilized half pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim.
• Center lid on the jar
• Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
• Place jars in a canner, ensuring there is at least 1" of water over the cans.
• Cover the pot and bring to a boil
• Boil for 10 minutes
• Turn the heat off, remove the lid, and let sit for 5 minutes
• Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter and place them on a rack to be undisturbed for 24 hours.
• Refrigerate any jars whose lids don't pop down.

To Freeze the Preserves

• Spoon preserves into clean jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
• Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim.
• Center lid on the jar.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Freeze jars.