Low Sugar Fruit Cobbler Preserves Canning Recipe

02. July 2026

This fruit cobbler preserve is the perfect dessert for summer when fresh berries and peaches are in season. It’s wonderful topped over cheesecake, spread onto biscuits, or swirled into yogurt or oatmeal. And don’t get me started on how amazing it is with ice cream! You have the flexibility to mix and match fruit too. And depending on which fruit you go with, you can also adjust the spices. Perhaps you’ll want warm spices like cinnamon with peaches instead of vanilla bean. Or why not try multiple batches for fun?

This is a low sugar water bath canning recipe made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin . This specialty pectin allows for a reduced amount of sugar which allows the fruit to stand out. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness for jam. Do not swap pectins for this recipe.

Fruit Cobbler Preserves canning recipe with jam jars decorated with custom patriotic canning labels | CanningCrafts.com

Our Patriotic Canning Labels are a great match for Fruit Cobbler Preserves. Old Glory Canning Labels & Star Spangled Canning Labels print with custom text for anything you put up.

Low Sugar Fruit Cobbler Preserves with Pomona’s Pectin

Recipe was adapted from Pomona's Universal Pectin ©CanningCrafts 2026

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Preservation method: Water bath canning (or steam canning)
Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
YIELD: Makes about 4 half pint jars
Head space: 1/4 inch (.635 cm)
Processing Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow peaches, cut into larger chunks. (Do NOT use white peaches which are low acid & not safe for canning).
1 cup dark red cherries, pitted and cut in half
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
1-2 vanilla beans, cut in half and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
4 teaspoons calcium water (see info below)
1 cup sugar (you can add up to 2 cups)
2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sugar (see note below)

*Note: This recipe is specially created to use Pomona’s Universal Pectin for a low sugar recipe. Do not swap pectins.

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Adapted recipe notes: The original Pomona’s Pectin recipe was for a jam and not a preserve. Preserves have larger chunks of fruit while jams often call for fruit to be mashed or chopped into small pieces first. I wanted a chunky fruit spread that was a little softer set so I could spread onto cheesecake. So I cut the peaches into larger chunks instead of mashing. Then I carefully stirred the fruit mixture back and forth when cooking so as to not break up the chunks of fruit. If you want jam instead of preserves, feel free to mash the fruit or chop it smaller.

I also followed Pomona’s tip to reduce the amount of pectin for a softer spread. If you want a more firm jam consistency, you can add up to 3 teaspoons of pectin instead of the 2 used in our adapted preserves recipe. You will always keep the same quantity of calcium water ether way.

You can mix and match fruit for this recipe, as long as the total amount of fruit is 4 cups. Choose from yellow peach, nectarine, cherry, blackberry, or blueberry. You can choose 2 or more fruits if desired. Be sure to check your cherries for pit fragments! And do NOT use WHITE peaches which are low acid and not safe for canning.

You can change the spices too. The original recipe called for cinnamon and nutmeg. I chose vanilla bean which pairs nicely with the 3 fruits I chose. I had small vanilla beans, so opted to use 2. Depending on your vanilla bean size and plumpness, you may get by with just one. You can add up to 1 teaspoon of spices per 4 cups of fruit.

Here are some other fruit and spice combination ideas. You can use equal amounts of each fruit, or more of one (just keep it to 4 cups total fruit). Add up to 1 teaspoon of spices per 4 cups of fruit.

Cherry Cobbler: cherries, almond extract
Peach Cherry Cobbler: yellow peaches, cherries, almond extract
Peach Cobbler: yellow peaches, cinnamon, ground ginger (or try chopped crystallized candied ginger)
Blackberry Nectarine Cobbler: nectarines, blackberries, vanilla beans or extract
Peach Blueberry Cobbler: yellow peaches, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg
Blueberry Peach Cobbler: blueberries, yellow peaches, cardamom
Blueberry Blackberry Cherry Cobbler: blueberries, blackberries, cherries, cinnamon

Pomona’s Pectin says you can use half pint jars OR pints. But since this is a low-sugar recipe, they recommend canning in smaller half pint jars since the jam will only last about 3 weeks in the refrigerator after opening. If your family can consume pint jars in that time frame, go for the larger size. The great thing about Pomona’s Pectin too is that you can double or triple batches, unlike with traditional pectins. So you can double this recipe and get 4 pints or 8 half pints. The processing time is the same for both half pints and pints.

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To make calcium water: In a small, clean jar with a lid, measure 1/2 cup cold water. Next, measure a 1/2 teaspoon of calcium powder (the powder is inside the box of Pomona’s Pectin) and place in the jar. Close the lid on the jar and shake well. Any unused calcium water can be stored in the refrigerator for your next canning project.

Water bath canner filled with water and jars to get ready for canning | CanningCrafts.com

Prepare water bath canner, lids, and jars. Put jars in hot water bath, cover, and simmer over medium heat until ready to use.

Wash and peel fruit. Pit and slice cherries in half. Check for pit fragments! Chop peaches in larger chunks. If you want a jam instead of chunkier preserves, feel free to mash the fruit or chop into smaller pieces.

Measure 4 cups of fruit total. Place fruit into pot with calcium water, bottled lemon juice, and sliced and scraped vanilla beans (or vanilla extract if you don’t have fresh beans). Mix well.

To pit cherries, you can cut in half and pick out the pits. Or you can use a cherry pitter kitchen gadget. There are a number of tools out on the market. I personally like this cherry pitter. It’s a plunger style attachment that screws onto a mason jar. Just insert the cherry with the stem side down. Push the plunger and the pit pushes out of the stem hole into the mason jar. I like to repurpose the cherry pits for a secondary project. I will simmer the pits into a tasty syrup! Waste not want not!

In a separate bowl, combine sugar and Pomona’s Pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside. If you want a more firm jam consistency instead of softer preserves, you can add up to 3 teaspoons of pectin instead of the 2 used in this adapted recipe.

Bring fruit mixture to a full boil over high heat. Slowly add the pectin-sugar mixture. Stir vigorously 1-2 minutes to dissolve pectin while mixture returns to a full boil. Once the mixture returns to a full boil, remove the pot from the heat. Remove the vanilla beans.

Fruit Cobbler Preserves canning recipe with jam being ladled into jam jars | CanningCrafts.com Remove hot jars from the canner. Empty the water from the jars, but do not dry. Carefully ladle jam into the hot jars. Leave 1/4 inch (.635 cm) headspace. Use a wooden skewer to remove any air pockets. Readjust headspace if needed. Wipe jar rims and threads with a moistened towel. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands to finger-tip tight.

Place jars onto a rack in the canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover with a lid, and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude* if needed (see chart below). Turn off heat and let jars sit in the canner for an additional 5 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.

Let prepared jars stand at room temperature for 12-24 hours. After the jars cool, check seals by pressing the centers of lids with your finger. If the lid springs back, the jar is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. Since this is a low-sugar recipe, opened preserves should be consumed within 3 weeks.

Affix CanningCrafts’ labels and write dates on jars. Store unopened jars in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.

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*Altitude

Living at a higher altitude affects home canning recipes, just as it does baking recipes. Many people are unaware that they live at a high altitude. If you live at a high altitude, you’ll need to increase either your processing time or processing pressure. Most canning recipes state this info for elevations of 0 to 1,000 feet above sea level. If you aren’t sure what your elevation is, get more info from the National Center for Food Preservation. Or call your local extension office if unsure.

Fruit Cobbler Preserves canning recipe with jam jar decorated with custom patriotic canning label and a bowl of fresh fruit with peaches, cherries, and blueberries | CanningCrafts.com

Our Patriotic Canning Labels are a great match for Fruit Cobbler Preserves. Star Spangled Canning Labels print with custom text for anything you put up.