How to Can Peaches
A simple recipe for canning fresh peaches to enjoy all year long!
Equipment
- Paring Knife
- Pitcher or measuring cup to mix the simple syrup in
- Wide Funnel (optional)
- Clean damp dishcloth to wipe jar rims
- Small kettle to boil jar lids in
- Fork or lid wand
- Waterbath canner
- Canning jars with lids and bands
- Jar lifter
- Old towels or rags to set the hot jars on
Ingredients
- Peaches
- Sugar
Instructions
- Wash peaches under running water, gently rubbing to remove any peach fuzz and dirt.
- Take the peach and slice in half, following the “seam” on the peach. Gently twist both pieces and pull apart. Remove the seed by putting the tip of your knife under the peach pit and pull upwards toward yourself. Then peel the peach.
- Cut your peaches into whatever size pieces you prefer.Traditionally, people canned peaches in halves. But I like to cut them into bite-sized pieces both because I can get more peaches in each jar (which saves me time and uses less canning jars!) and also because the bite-sized pieces are easier to eat, especially for my children.
- Place the fresh peaches into freshly washed canning jars. Be sure to check the opening of the jar for any nicks, cracks or rough edges, since any of these things may prevent your jar from sealing!If you choose to can your peaches in halves or quarters, layer them in the jar with the cavity side down and overlap the peaches in whatever way you can to fill your jar as full as possible.If you’ve diced your peaches, simply dump them into the jar. A funnel makes this super easy!Once a canning jar is full, carefully shake it to settle the contents so that you can fill it completely. I often take a dishrag and put it underneath the jar and then gently pound the jar against the dishrag a bit. It always amazes me how much extra space this creates!Add more peaches as needed to fill each jar to the base of the neck.
- Make a simple sugar syrup by combining a 2:1 ratio of water and sugar- so 2 cups of water to 1 cup sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. I like to do this in a pitcher or measuring cup for easy pouring.
- Pour the syrup over the peaches in each jar and fill to the base of the threaded neck.Wipe the rim of each jar with a damp cloth to remove any peach/syrup residue that may be there. (If there is even a slight bit of peach or juice on it, it may not allow it to seal properly.)
- Once you have 7 canning jars filled, place 7 metal canning lids in a small pan. Cover with water; bring to a boil.Once the water boils, use a fork or lid wand to lift the jar lids out of the water- be careful not to burn yourself!- and place them on the jars. Secure each lid with a jar band/ring. (Heating the lids softens the rubber, allowing for a better seal. However, I read recently that some of the newer lids actually recommend that you don’t boil them, so you double check the instructions on your box of lids before doing this step.)I say 7 jars because that is the number of jars that a waterbath canner typically holds. Obviously, if you are canning fewer jars of peaches, adjust the number accordingly.
- Place the jars into the canner. Fill the canner with enough hot water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Turn the burner on medium-high heat.Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat slightly and process for 30 minutes, making sure the water is boiling gently and steadily the whole time. (You may need to adjust heat to keep the boil going nicely, but really, as long as it is boiling, you are fine.)
- After processing for 30 minutes, turn the burner off. Remove the jars of canned peaches using jar lifter- you may want to have a dishrag in your other hand to catch any hot water that drips from the jars as you remove them- and place on an old towel, blanket or other padded surface. (The reason for doing this is to protect your countertop from the super hot jars.)Allow at least a little bit of air space around each jar, making sure not to have jars close enough to touch. Do not move until jars are completely cool.
- Jars should seal as they cool. You will typically hear a pinging sound as the vacuum seal is formed. Lids will be slightly concaved when sealed. To test the seal, lightly tap the center of the completely cooled jar lid. If it is firm and does not move, it should be sealed.If it pushes in, the jar didn’t seal properly. You can still use unsealed jars, just put them in the refrigerator and use them as soon as possible.
- After jars are completely cool, you can remove the rings. Jars should be wiped clean before storing.
Notes
An apple corer also can be used to quickly dice the peaches.