Peach Season is here! There is nothing better in the dead of winter than a peach saved from summer time. Whether it is frozen, canned, or dried; eating a peach is like tasting summer. In this blog post I will share my extra light syrup and canning peaches recipes with you so you can enjoy peaches all winter long.
Types of Peaches
Freestone vs Clingstone peaches. Freestone peaches are easily recognizable. When cutting open a freestone peach the pit literally falls out, naming it a FREE stone. Clingstone peaches are where the flesh of the peach clings to the stone. Clingstone peaches are usually smaller and sweeter making them a great option for canning jams and jellies.
Picking the Perfect Peach for Canning
There are so many ways to look at a peach. Yellow or white flesh? Clingstone or Freestone? As of the time of this post, when canning peaches, look for a yellow flesh variety. White flesh peaches have a lower acid level, and at this time, there is no FDA approved safe way to can white flesh peaches.
Preparing Peaches for Canning
Now that you know how to pick your peaches, let’s get them ready for canning. Peaches need a little preparation before they can be canned. They need to be skinned and pitted. You can save the skins and pits to make my delicious Stone Fruit Jelly recipe, which can be found in my I Bought It, Now What? Summer Edition eBook.
To quickly and easily peel the skins, you will need a large stock pot of boiling water, and a bowl of ice water. Take a sharp knife and cut along the natural crease of the peach and make an X on the bottom before gently dropping it into the boiling water for one minute. Scoop the peach out with a spider strainer or a slotted spoon and gently drop it into the bowl of ice water. This will allow you to slip the skin right off. Once all your peaches are skinned you will need to cut them into slices and remove the pits.
Now your peaches are ready to be canned or frozen. If you have extra peaches left when you’re done canning, place them in a single layer on a tray and freeze them. Once they are frozen you can place them in a freezer storage bag to grab for later. These slices are great in smoothies or for fruit infused water. They will be easy to grab because they were frozen individually. You can also bag the peaches pre-measured for recipes you like to make. For instance, freeze 4 cups of peaches for this Peach Blueberry Crisp recipe, or for a pie. This makes making these recipes easy because the fruit is already measured out ahead of time. Just make sure to mark the bag with the date and how many cups of fruit are in the bag.
Your peaches are now skinned, pitted, and sliced; which means they are fully prepared and ready for canning, so let’s get to it! I like to be able to taste my fruit and limit the sugar I eat. Because of this I tend to use as little sugar as I can get away with. I will be sharing an extra light syrup recipe with you to can your peaches in. Extra light syrup is recommended for those trying to watch their sugar intake.
Supplies Needed for Canning
- Canning Jars with lids and bands, either pint or quart size
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Slotted Spoon
- Jar lifter
- Ladle
- Funnel
- Towel
- Vinegar
- Water
- Water Bath Canner
- Sugar
- Fruit
Preparing Your Jars for Canning
Clean and undamaged jars, lids, and bands are crucial to the success of a canning project. Start by inspecting your jars, lids, and bands and discarding any damaged items. Wash with hot soapy water, rinse them well and dry thoroughly. Set the lids and bands aside for later use. Place your jars in the water bath canner and fill the canner with water making sure the water covers the jars by at least one inch. Bring the water to a boil for at least 10 minutes. Make sure to keep the jars hot. This is where the jar lifter is very handy.
Let's Get to Canning Peaches!
Let’s start by making the syrup. This syrup is for a single batch which should work for eight to twelve pounds of peaches. If you are using more peaches, you will need to calculate the amount of syrup to match the amount of your peaches. While packing your fruit, you can always whip up extra syrup as needed.
Canned Peaches in Extra Light Syrup
Equipment
- ¼ c. Measuring Cup
- 5% Distilled white vinegar
- Water Bath Canner or XL Stock Pot
- Large saucepan (large enough to hold all of your peaches when sliced up.)
- Wooden spoon
- Large stock pot (large enough to hold about 4 whole peaches at a time.)
- Paring Knife
- Spider Strainer (or slotted spoon)
- Large bowl (large enough to hold 4-8 whole peaches at a time.)
- Ladle
- Funnel
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ c. Sugar
- 5 ½ c. Water
- 8-12 lbs. Processed freestone peaches (see my blog post for the difference between freestone and clingstone peaches.)
Instructions
WASH & DRY PEACHES:
- Wash peaches in 10 cups of water and ¼ cup 5% distilled white vinegar solution for two minutes. Rinse and allow to fully dry.
INSPECT & WASH JARS:
- Inspect jars, lids, and bands for any damaged pieces. Discard anything that is damaged. Only use brand new lids for canning to ensure a proper seal.
- Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly.
PREPARE JARS:
- Place your jars in the water bath canner and fill the canner with water. Make sure the water level covers the jars by at least one inch. Place the lid on the canner and allow the water to boil for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the syrup.
PREPARE EXTRA LIGHT SYRUP:
- Place sugar and water in a large sauce pan.Heat to almost boiling and stir to dissolve.
PRREPARE PEACHES:
- Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.
- With a paring knife, make a cut all the way along the crease of the peach and make an X on the bottom. This will allow the peach skin to easily slip off once boiled.
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, gently submerge the peaches into the stock pot for one minute. Set a timer. You don't want to cook the peaches, you just want to blanch them to loosen up the skins.
- After one minute, remove the peaches from the boiling water and immediately place in the large bowl of ice water to cool them down. Leave them there until they are cool enough for you to handle.
- Remove peaches from ice water and peel the skins from the peaches.
- Cut skinned peaches into quarters or eighths, remove pits, and place into sauce pan of extra light syrup.
CANNING PEACHES:
- Remove one jar at a time using a jar lifter. Be careful, the jar will be very hot! Add the peach/syrup mixture to the jar using a funnel and ladle. It is okay to push down and fill the jars. Leave a ½ inch of headspace for canning.
- Use a bubble remover to get rid of all air bubbles. Be sure there is ½ inch of headspace when finished.
- With a towel dipped in vinegar, wipe the rims of the jars to remove any syrup or peach juice to ensure a proper seal.
- Place the lids on the jars, add a band and tighten to fingertip tight.
- Place filled jars back in the canner using a jar lifter.
- Once the canner is filled with full jars, ensure the water covers the jars with at least an extra 1” of water to be sure the jars get sealed properly.
- Place the lid on the canner pot and bring the water to a boil and process*.25 minutes for Pint Jars.30 minutes for Quart Jars.
- Once processing has completed, take the lid off of the canner pot for 5 minutes. Remove jars with a jar lifter and allow them to cool at room temperature. (I let mine sit on the counter overnight.)
- Once the jars are cool, check lids to make sure they are sealed, remove bands, label/date and store.
Video
Notes
- *Yields: 8-Pint Jars or 4-Quart Jars
- *Processing time for 8-Pint Jars is 25 minutes
- *Processing time for 4-Quart Jars is 30 minutes
Nutrition
Saving peaches for the off season is a taste of summer in the middle of winter! Now that you know how to save your peaches do you plan to can some or place some in your freezer? How many do you plan to save? I would love to hear what you try? What are you saving peaches for?
Want More Canning Recipes? Try These!
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