How to can peaches for beginners
Nothing says Summer quite like the taste and feel of a fresh, juicy, sun-filled peach.
You can capture the feeling by canning your own peaches when they are at the peak of flavor. Open a jar of summer all winter long.
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Canned peaches are so versatile and easy to do. I like to use a jar of peaches to make a quick peach pie, crisp or cobbler. Warm or cold, straight out of the jar, or used in your favorite recipes. These peaches are sure to be a family favorite! When you can your own foods, you are in control of what is going into the jar. All you need is some basic canning equipment, jars, peaches, water and sugar! YUM
*This recipe assumes you know the basic steps and safety measures needed for safe home canning. If you do not, please do your research and fully understand the potential consequences.
You will need:
Peaches- ripe, blemish free
Canning Jars/Lids- Quarts or Pints. Wide mouth is best for this
Sugar
Water
Basic Canning Equipment
Wash jars with hot soapy water and place into water bath canner. Fill with water to cover jars and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Turn burner to low and keep jars hot until needed.
Meanwhile in another pan bring more water to a boil and submerge a few peaches into the boiling water for 30- 45 minutes.
Remove from hot water and immediately plunge into cold water. Cold running water or Ice water will work.
Remove skin from peaches, cut in half and remove pit.
Remove jars from hot water, drain and place onto towel lined counter. Never place hot jars directly onto counter. Pack peach halves into jars cut side down. This allows more peaches to fit into the jars. You can cut into quarters if you wish. You will want to leave a good 1/2 inch head space.
Fill jars with hot syrup. The water/sugar ratio is up to you and how heavy you like your syrup. I prefer 4 cups of sugar to every 10 cups of water. Heat on medium until sugar is dissolved. Ladle or pour into peach filled jars. Use a plastic or rubber spatula to run along the inside of the jar to remove as many bubbles as possible. Refill jars with syrup until a bubble-free half inch head space is left.
Very important to wipe rims clean of any syrup or peaches. You want the rubber seal on the lid to have full unobstructed contact with the jar to form a complete seal!
Working quickly remove lids from simmering water and place onto jars.
Tighten rings to finger tight. Once the jar moves, that is as tight as you want. Rings that are cranked onto the jars too much may cause the lids to buckle, therefore not sealing.
Using the jar lifter, move the jars back into the canner with hot water. Watch your water level. You may need to remove some of the hot water as you are filling the pot. You want to leave 2 inches of water above the tops of the jars.
Put the lid on your canner and bring the water back to a boil. You will process pint jars for 20 minutes and quart jars for 30 minutes in a continuous boil. Once processing time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes before using your jar lifter to carefully remove the jars onto a towel placed on the counter. Repeat the process until all your peaches are canned.
Leave the jars undisturbed for a full 24 hours. Then remove the rings, test the seal, gently wash jars with a washcloth and lukewarm soapy water. Rinse, label and store in a cool, dark place until ready to eat.
I hope you try this recipe. Let me know if you do! I’d love to hear from you!
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