Canning Peaches for Food Storage

Canning Peaches for Food Storage

Biting into a perfectly ripe peach is one of the most satisfying moments of summer. You can capture summer in a jar by preserving fresh peaches to enjoy all year long with this easy recipe for canning peaches.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Canning Time20

Total Time1

Course: Pantry

Cuisine: American

Keyword: canning peaches

Servings:

Calories: 120kcal

Author: Grow a Good Life

Ingredients

11 pounds fresh peaches yellow fleshed
6 1/2 cups water
3/4 cups cane sugar

Instructions

Prepare the canning equipment:

Wash your jars, lids, screw bands, and canning tools in hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all suds. Set aside to air dry on a clean kitchen towel.
Place the canning rack into water bath canner, place jars in the canner, and add water to cover. Bring the canner to a simmer (180˚F) for 10 minutes, and keep hot until you are ready to fill them.

Blanch and peel the peaches:

Wash the peaches well under clean, running water.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.
Cut a small X at the bottom of each peach. Plunge the peaches into the boiling water until the skins loosen, about 30-60 seconds.
Remove the peaches from the pot and place in the bowl of ice water to cool. Drain the pot and let the peaches cool in the ice water while you make the syrup.

Make the sugar syrup:

Add the sugar and water to the large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, keep warm.

Prepare the peaches:

Peel the peaches, remove the pits, and slice in halves or pieces.
Remove the pits from freestone peaches by cutting the fruit in half around the pit and twisting the halves in opposite directions until one side releases. Remove the pits and keep in halves or slice the peaches if desired.
To slice clingstone peaches, remove peeling, cut toward the center of the fruit around the pit, and lift out each slice as you go.
Add the peaches to the prepared syrup and bring to boil.

Can the peaches:

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove a warm jar from the canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the rest of the jars in the canner so they stay hot.
Use your canning funnel and ladle, to fill the warm jar with hot peaches and top off with the syrup leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Run your bubble popper through the peaches to release air bubbles. Adjust headspace if necessary to maintain 1/2-inch headspace.
Wipe the jar rim with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place a lid on the jar, gasket side down. Screw the metal band down fingertip tight.
Place the jar back into the canner with the jar lifter, and repeat with the remaining jars.
Once all the jars are in canner, adjust the water level to two inches above the tops. If adding water, pour the water in between the jars and not directly onto them.
Cover the canner and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils vigorously, process pints for 20 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary (see notes below).
When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the canner to cool down and settle for about 5 minutes.
Spread a dry kitchen towel on the counter. Remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face.
Use the jar lifter to remove the jars from canner and place on the towel. Keep upright, and don't tighten bands or check the seals yet. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24-hours to cool.
After the jars have cooled for at least 12 hours, check to be sure lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate and use within a few days.
Remove the screw on bands and wash the jars. Label, date, and store your jars in a cool, dark place. Use within 12 to 18 months. Yields about 9 pint jars of peaches.

Notes

This recipe is for canning pint jars of peaches. If you are canning quarts, you will need about 17 1/2 pounds of peaches for a full canner load of 7 quarts. Increase the processing time to 25 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft.

Syrup for Canning in Quart Jars:

Very Light = 10 1/2 cups water and 1 1/4 cups sugar
Light = 9 cups water and 2 1/4 cups sugar
Medium = 8 1/4 cups water and 3 3/4 cups sugar
Heavy = 7 3/4 cups water and 5 1/4 cups sugar
Light Honey = 11 cups water and 1 cup honey

This is a tested safe canning recipe from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Changing the recipe may make the product unsafe.

All times are at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjustments must be made for altitudes greater than 1,000 ft:

Pints at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 25 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 30 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 35 minutes.
Quarts at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 30 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 35 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 40 minutes.

I am happy to answer any questions, but if you need immediate canning help or answers, please contact your local extension office.

Nutrition