Yes, you should still add the lemon juice. It serves multiple purposes - it helps the peaches from discoloring, it might add a little additional pectin depending on the quantity and it enhances the flavor (I describe it as a "sparkle").

I think amaretto would be lovely. Start off with a small amount and taste it. It will get slightly stronger the longer the jam sits. You don't want to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the fruit - just enough to enhance it. Sneak up on it a little at a time.

Edie,

We have just made blackberry/peach and raspberry/peach jam. We used the 2/3 peaches and 1/3 berries, in other words twice as much peaches as berries. Additionally, we used the full amount of lemon juice (from a bottle) and it turned out wonderful.

I am not too familiar with Amaretto, so no advise there.

Additionally, if you want to make it thinner and use as a syrup as an ice cream topping or over pancakes/french toast... it is just scrumptous!!!! we love it!

Best wishes and enjoy.

regards,
Tom

The lemon juice won't really add any pectin, but it will add acid and that "sparkle". Are you using powdered pectin? Neither peaches nor raspberries are high in pectin. Amaretto would be great with peaches, but I'd be afraid it would mask the delicate flavor of the raspberries so I'd skip it for this batch, save it for peaches alone. Now, maybe if you had Chambord or Framboise...

Thanks so much for the help, especially about the lemon juice. After going through all the trouble I'd sure hate for it to not do right. Still not really sure about the Amaretto. I'm also going to be making a batch of Spiced Peach jam, maybe I'll put it in that instead. Just an Oid Bat trying after all these years to broaden my horizons a bit!

Edie

Agreed with the others, the lemon juice is required. So far, my favorite peach jam that I've done is one that I came up with using some reduced chardonnay, Chambord (French black-raspberry liqueur) and Pomona's pectin so I can do a lower sugar, as our CO peaches are very sweet. The alcohol flavors don't come across in major amounts, but intensify the total flavor of the jam. Chambord is a big investment for occasional use, but I've found it to be worth my while, as it's my favorite for adding to jams/sorbets. I found a half sized bottle at my local Target for $15 that has lasted me for well over a year now.

If you like the flavor of Amaretto, I would say that it would go well with either the peach/rasp or your spiced peach. I use liqueur in most of my jams, not necessarily for the alcohol's flavor, but find that it deepens the flavor as a whole. I generally add 1-2 Tbsp for a batch that makes 4-6 half-pints.

Well, here's what I did:
Peach-Raspberry as is, using Ball No/Low pectin & artificial sweetener (for the Diabetics in my life)
Spiced Peach with 1-1/2 TBSP Amaretto. Supposed to make 6 jars, but I got about 1/2 C more so I put it into a plastic container w/a screw-on lid. Just had some on a croissant for dessert. Oh, WOWSERS is that yummy stuff!!
I also made a batch of pear jam, so I have all the peelings from the peaches & pears in a covered bowl in the fridge, and I have about 4 apples and a slightly too-tart for my taste plum, so I'm going to chop them all up and mix with the peelings tomorrow to get the juice to make a mixed-fruit jelly. Gotta love these 3-day weekends!!
Happy canning to all and thank you again!

Edie