Canning peaches is a great way to preserve fresh peaches and lengthen their shelf life for eating and using in various recipes. Learning how to can peaches step by step as well as how to bottle peaches can be a wonderfully beneficial skill for enjoying the delicious flavor of beautiful peaches year-round.
We’ll explain different methods for peach processing for beginners as well as how to can peaches in juice, syrup, honey, or water along with how to preserve peaches.
Which peaches are best for canning?
Freestone peaches are the best peaches for canning in our opinion. They are best because they are a firm peach, have good flavor, and the pit at the center comes out easily. The results will be delicious when you can with freestone peaches.
Cling peaches are also good for canning, but they can be challenging to remove the pit as the flesh usually wants to stay attached to it. As a result, you can end up wasting a portion of the flesh that remains attached to the pit.
White flesh peaches should NOT be used in canning. White flesh peaches should not be canned as they do not have enough acidic content and are not safe for canning.
Where to find peaches to can
If it’s summertime where you live, likely peaches are in season. Here in the Midwest, peaches are in season during the months of July and August and that’s the best time to find fruit fresh for canning peaches. We’ll share how to use fruit fresh when canning peaches.
Some of the best tasting peaches can come from your local farmer’s market or roadside stands. If you’re planning to can a large quantity of peaches, you’ll want to consider ordering them ahead.
We’ve also made some seriously good, canned peaches from in season grocery store peaches. Just make sure your peaches are fresh, firm, and that they’re ripe or almost ripe when you buy them.
How to ripen peaches
The best canned peaches recipes are ones that are ripe. If you buy peaches that are not yet ripe, you’ll want to allow them a few days to ripen before using them for the best results.
The best way to ripen peaches is to place them in a paper bag and loosely roll down the top. The release of the ethylene gas being trapped inside the bag will cause the peaches to ripen quickly. How long do peaches last? If you’re ripening a large quantity, consider dividing them into more than one paper bag to keep them from getting smooshed.
Recommended Equipment for Canning Peaches:
Below are the recommended supplies for canning peaches. You’ll need these for canning peaches using a water bath method:
peaches
sugar or sweetener
32 oz quart wide mouth jars
Enamel stock pot with lid
Jar grabber
Canning funnel
Canning wire basket
Simple syrup for canning peaches
Sugar is the preservative used for canning various fruits, including peaches. The great thing about canning simple syrup with your own peaches is that you can custom make them to fit your needs or the needs of those who gather around your table.
If you like sweet peaches, you can make a heavy simple syrup, maximizing the sugar content. Or if you prefer a little sugar, you can dial it back to light or extra-light syrup. If you need a sugar-free method, consider using honey or even a plain water method. Read below for peach recipes for canning.
To make a simple syrup for canning peaches, you will simply add the desired amount of sugar and water to a saucepan. Then stir it until it’s dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil to suspend the sugar so it doesn’t all settle at the bottom. Use our chart below to determine the amount of sugar and water to use.
How to can peaches in heavy syrup
How to make heavy syrup for peaches? To make heavy syrup for canning peaches, combine 3 ¼ cups sugar with 5 cups of water. This will yield approximately 7 cups of syrup. Stir until well dissolved over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and proceed to the next step in the canning process.
How to can peaches in light syrup
To know how to make light syrup for canning peaches, use 2 ¼ cups sugar along with 5 ¼ cups water. This will yield approximately 6 ½ cups of light simple syrup for canning peaches.
To create the simple syrup, dissolve the sugar with the water in a saucepan. Continue stirring over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once you’ve reached the boiling point, remove the saucepan from the heat. The sugar is now suspended in the liquid. You can proceed to the next step of the canning.
How to can peaches in extra light syrup
To can peaches in extra light syrup, combine 1 cup of sugar with 6 cups of water. This will yield approximately 5 ¾ cups of syrup. Stir the mixture together until the sugar is dissolved over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and proceed to the next step.
How to can peaches without sugar
Can you can peaches without using sugar? Yes, you sure can. But with that being said, it’s important to understand that the sugar or sweetener is what is used to preserve the fruit’s color, flavor, and overall structure. It’s what helps to lengthen the shelf life as opposed to canning peaches without sugar.
Canned peaches without sugar have enough natural sugar to be considered safe for preservation. But you’ll want to realize that the outcome of their color, flavor, and shelf life could be altered compared to completing the process using sugar.
Some alternatives to canning peaches with sugar include using water, canning peaches with fruit juice, honey, or light syrup. Any of these options are viable, safe methods.
It’s important to know how to make peaches sweeter. If no sugar or sugar substitute is used, you’ll want to use the hot pack method for canned peaches in water, for safety reasons. Read below to learn about hot pack versus cold pack peaches.
How to can peaches using honey
If you’re planning to can peaches using honey, there’s no particular value in using raw honey. By the time it’s cooked to create a simple syrup suspension, the majority of the beneficial properties have been removed. It’s more economical to just use regular honey for this process.
We recommend using 1 cup of honey for 4 cups of water when creating a honey syrup for canning peaches. This will yield approximately 5 cups of simple syrup.
How to can peaches in their own juice or fruit juice
Apple juice or white grape juice work well for canning this fruit in its own juice. The juice provides a sweet aspect that can be a good alternative to using sugar, depending on your preference.
We estimate that you’ll need 48 ounces of juice for every 4 pounds of fruit if using it as an alternative to sugar preservation. If using apple juice or white grape juice, it’s acceptable and quite easy to use juice from concentrate and mix it with three cans of water.
How to can peaches in water
If you’re planning to can peaches in water, you’ll need to follow the hot pack method. This requires the fruit to be cooked in water before they, along with the water they’re cooked in are added to the jars and canned. This canning peaches without sugar recipe will not taste as sweet as those that are canned using simple syrup and might have as long of shelf life. Knowing how to can peaches without adding sugar can be beneficial for those with dietary restrictions.
Hot pack vs. Raw pack:
How do you can peaches for beginners? There are two methods that can be used for canning peaches. You can hot pack them or canning peaches raw pack them.
The hot pack method for canning involves boiling the sliced or canned peach halves in the simple syrup for 2 minutes before adding them to your jars. These work great for canning peach recipes. Once you’ve added them to your jars, you can ladle more syrup into the jars covering the tops of the fruit.
The main benefit of the hot pack method is that you can typically eliminate the fruit float that occurs when there is a gap between the top of the jar and the top of the fruit, and it allows you to fit more fruit per jar. Tightly pack the fruit into the jars as much as possible without squishing it.
The raw pack method for canning peaches involves simply placing the raw fruit into the jars and pouring the simple syrup in over the top before they are processed in the canner or water bath. This can also be known as canning peaches cold pack.
If you’re canning peaches without additional sugar or sweetener, you must use the hot pack method for safety reasons.
How to can peaches without a canner
The goal of canning peaches is to achieve the best preserved peaches. If you’re wanting to learn how to can peaches without a pressure canner, using the water bath process is a good method. If you’re not confident about how to pressure can peaches, then using an alternative solution is ideal. Canning peaches without a canner is the method that we’ll use in the step-by-step instructions below.
To can peaches without a canner, you’ll need the following equipment: stock pot, jar grabber, funnel, quart sized jars. See our recommended equipment list at the top of this post for recommended equipment. Whether you’re simply doing this as a canning peaches recipe or for canning peaches for cobbler or pie, this is a great easy method.
Pressure canning peaches
Do Peaches Need To Be Pressure Canned? No, but some folks might prefer to use a pressure canner as one of their preferred ways to preserve peaches. But you should know that pressure canning does take longer compared to the water bath method.
To pressure can peaches using a dial gauge canner, process them for 10 minutes at 6psi. Or for a weight gauge canner, process them for 10 minutes at 5psi.
Once they’re finished processing, slide the canner to the middle of the stove to remove them from the heat and allow them to cool.
Storing Tips:
Once you’ve finished the process, you might wonder what to do with canned peaches. Canned, sealed fruit such as this, can be kept at room temperature for 12 – 18 months at their best quality. How long do home canned peaches last? They can be eaten for up to two years. Below are some important factors to consider for storing your canned fruit.
Did they seal? You’ll want to find a safe place for the finished product to sit for about 12 hours to allow the jars to seal. They will begin popping which is music to your ears and means that another jar has sealed.
What if they didn’t seal? If your canned fruit didn’t seal, you’ll want to trouble shoot each jar to check for a chip in the jar or reason that the seal might not have sealed. If there doesn’t seem to be a reason that they didn’t seal, try running them through the canning process again and check for success.
How long until the canned peaches can be eaten? The canned fruit can be eaten after it has cooled. Or for up to two years if they do not become discolored, have a strange odor, or become moldy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Following are questions that are asked frequently about fruit preservation and how to can peaches. We trust you will find these answers helpful. If you have further questions, please drop them in the comments box below and we will respond to them.
How long after preserving peaches can you eat them?
How long are canned peaches good for? And how long do home-canned peaches last? If they are stored properly, they can remain at their highest quality for 12-18 months. And can be eaten for up to 2 years.
Can I make canned peach slices?
Yes, canning peach slices in the desired shape and size is fine. You can cut them in half, leave them whole, or slice them depending on your preference.
Can you use white peaches in canning?
How to can white peaches? White peaches should never be used in canning. Canned white peaches do not contain enough acidic content to make them viable for preservation through canning.
My fruit turned a little brown, is it still ok to eat?
If you’re concerned because your fruit turned a little brown, they still could be okay for consumption. The altered color could be because of your canned peaches syrup recipe. Just check to make sure they smell okay, that they’re sealed, and that they don’t contain any mold.
Why do my peaches float to the top of the jar?
There are a variety of things that can cause your fruit to float to the top of the jar. These include the ripeness of the fruit, the acidity level, and the packing method used such as whether the fruit was hot packed or raw packed.
To keep your fruit from floating to the top, gently pack as much fruit as possible into the jar without crushing it.
What if my canning fruit is still green?
If your canning peaches are still green, you’ll want to allow them the proper time to ripen before beginning the canning process. Place them in a paper bag, with the top loosely rolled down at room temperature to speed up the ripening process.
How to preserve peaches without canning?
The best way to preserve peaches without canning is to freeze them. Blanch them, peel them, slice them and place them in a zipped freezer bag. Canned fruit can last in the freezer for up to three months.
Can you leave the skins on for canning?
If your preference is canning peaches with skin on, you can do that. But we encourage you to try blanching them for thirty seconds to one minute first and pulling off the skins as it is quite a simple process. Canning with skins, might cause you to have to remove them before adding them to your dishes depending on the desired use.
How many peaches are in quart sized jar?
How many peaches in a quart? Or how many peaches in a can? The quantity of that will fit in one quart sized jar depends on the size of fruit used. When using nice sized fruit, we estimate that 4 peaches will fit in one quart sized bottle. So, how many peaches are in a can of peaches?
What if my jars don’t seal?
If your jars don’t seal, then they’re not safe to store at room temperature for any length of time. Check the lid, ring and jar rim used to make sure there are no cracks or chips. If the jar not sealing wasn’t caused by a defective jar, then try the process again, steam canning peaches using your preferred canning method. If the jar still fails to seal, place it in the refrigerator and use the contents within 3 days.
How many jars of peaches will 50 pounds give me?
If you’re planning to can a larger quantity of peaches, you might want to know that 50 pounds, which is about a bushel of peaches, will give you an estimated 20-25 quarts.
Can I use pint jars to can peaches?
Yes, if you don’t want a big can of peaches, pint jars can be used. Instead of canning them in a water bath for 30 minutes, the canning time can be reduced to 25 minutes, when using the water bath method for your jar of peaches. Jar size doesn’t matter for canning peaches with syrup, canning peaches no sugar, or canning peaches low sugar.
How long does it take to can peaches?
How long to process peaches? It takes exactly 30 minutes to can peaches. This only includes the time that the jars of peaches need to sit in the canner while the water is boiling. The preparation time and clean up time before and after will vary.
How long are canned peaches good for after opening?
Canned peaches should be stored in the refrigerator after they’re opened and can last for up to three days.
HELP! Why are my jars leaking juice?
What if some liquid leaks out of the jars while they are processing? A common canning problem is called siphoning. It’s when liquid is drawn out of the jarred peaches during the canning process. This can be caused due to it being pushed out when there is not enough headspace, by improper cool down time, or by changes in pressure during the canning process.
If you’re a first time diy canner and have siphoning in your jars, follow these steps:
If you’ve lost liquid from your jars, but the jars have sealed, do not break the seal to open the jars, rather use these jars first as the fruit might become discolored during its shelf life.
If more than half of the liquid has been lost, the fruit might not have been processed properly. Place these jars in the refrigerator and use them first, within three days.
How to Blanch and Peel a Peach
The easiest way to peel a peach is by blanching it first. Sure, you can can a peach with the skin still on, but likely you’re going to want to remove the skin first before adding it to your recipe anyway. So why not do the work up front. It will save you time later.
To blanch and peel a peach. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add your fruit to the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds. Remove the fruit from the water and transfer it immediately to an ice bath.
The skins should be able to easily be removed after they’ve been blanched.
Ingredients
Peaches
Simple syrup
lemon juice
Directions:Pro tips for canning fresh peaches:
How do you can peaches? Here are some pro tips for canning fresh peaches.
Blanch the peaches to easily remove the skins from the flesh of the fruit, using a sharp knife.
Add a little lemon juice to the bottom of each of the jars to be sure that you reach the safe acidity level for canning.
Give the jars time to cool slowly at room temperature to allow them to properly seal.
Listen for the jars to seal and confirm that each jar has sealed before moving them to long term storage.
When preserving peaches without sugar be sure to use the hot pack method.
How to can peaches, step-by-step
In this easy step-by-step recipe tutorial, we’ll give you instructions for How to Can Fresh Peaches the Easy Way, at home using water bath canning.
Canning preparation: sterilizing the canning jars and lids
You’ll want to begin by properly sterilizing the canning jars. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is to run them through the dishwasher on a regular load.
You’ll also want to sterilize the rings and lids. Simply place them in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring them to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.
1. Wash peaches thoroughly
Wash the fruit thoroughly and place it on a clean towel to air dry.
2. Cut and peel
Determine what size you want your canned peaches. Whole peaches in a jar, halved peaches, or canned sliced peaches will work fine.
To easily remove the skins, bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the peaches for 30 seconds and place them immediately in an ice bath. This will allow you to easily remove the skins without wasting any of the peach flesh.
3. Slice/Dice (optional)
The next step is to cut the fruit into the desired shapes or sizes.
4. Make the Simple Syrup
Using our chart above, choose your preferred method for simple syrup. Will you use honey, fruit juice, sugar, or plain water?
Mix the desired sweetener with the specified amount of water and heat in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil. Keep the mixture warm on low until ready to use.
If you’re choosing plain water, you’ll need to use the hot pack method. Other methods that use sweetener can choose either the raw pack method or hot pack method.
5. Put the Peaches in Canning Jars
By this point, you will need to determine whether you’ll be doing the hot pack method or raw pack method.
For the hot pack method, add the fruit to the syrup mixture and boil for 2 minutes. Then place the peaches in glass jars, filling them as full of fruit as possible, but leaving about ½ inch head room.
For the raw pack method, simply add the fruit to the jars, packing it as tightly as possible.
6. Fill Jars with Sugar Syrup
Next, fill the remainder of each of the jars with your peach canning syrup mixture, leaving about ½ inch head room at the top above the peaches in syrup.
7. Top the Jars with Lids
Add the sterilized lids and rings to the tops of each of the jars and place them on a wire rack, in the stockpot filled ½ full of water.
8. Can the Peaches for 30 minutes
Cover the stock pot with a lid and boil for 30 minutes. If you’re using a pressure canner for pressure canning fruit, please see the instructions above for the length of time as well as the suggested psi based on the type of pressure canner used.
9. Remove from the canner
Once the jars have finished canning, slide the canner to the center of the stove and allow the cans to cool. Then carefully remove each can of peaches from the canner using a jar grabber and place them on the counter at room temperature in a safe place for 12 hours until each of the jars has sealed.
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How to Can Fresh Peaches
Equipment
- canning jars, lids, rings
- stock pot with lid
- jar grabber
- funnel
- wire rack
Ingredients
- peaches
- sugar or fruit juice
Instructions
Canning preparation: sterilizing the canning jars and lids
- You’ll want to begin by properly sterilizing the canning jars. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is to run them through the dishwasher on a regular load.
- You’ll also want to sterilize the rings and lids. Simply place them in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring them to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.
Wash peaches thoroughly
- Wash the peaches thoroughly and place them on a clean towel to air dry.
Cut and peel
- Determine what size you want your canned peaches. Whole peaches in a jar, halved peaches, or canned sliced peaches will work fine.
- To easily remove the skins, bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the peaches for 30 seconds and place them immediately in an ice bath. This will allow you to easily remove the skins without wasting any of the peach flesh.
Slice/Dice (optional)
- The next step is to cut the peaches into the desired shapes or sizes.
Make the Simple Syrup
- Using our chart above, choose your preferred method for simple syrup. Will you use honey, fruit juice, sugar, or plain water?
- Mix the desired sweetener with the specified amount of water and heat in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil. Keep the mixture warm on low until ready to use.
- If you’re choosing plain water, you’ll need to use the hot pack method. Other methods that use sweetener can choose either the raw pack method or hot pack method.
Put in Peaches in Canning Jars
- By this point, you will need to determine whether you’ll be doing the hot pack method or raw pack method.
- For the hot pack method, add the peaches to the syrup mixture and boil for 2 minutes. Then place the peaches in glass jars, filling them as full of fruit as possible, but leaving about ½ inch head room.
- For the raw pack method, simply add the fruit to the jars, packing it as tightly as possible.
Fill Jars with Sugar Syrup
- Next, fill the remainder of each of the jars with your peach canning syrup mixture, leaving about ½ inch head room at the top above the peaches in syrup.
Top the Jars with Lids
- Add the sterilized lids and rings to the tops of each of the jars and place them in the stockpot filled ½ full of water.
Can the Peaches for 30 minutes
- Cover the stock pot with a lid and boil for 30 minutes. If you’re using a pressure canner for pressure canning fruit, please see the instructions above for the length of time as well as the suggested psi based on the type of pressure canner used.
Remove from the canner
- Once the peaches have finished canning, slide the canner to the center of the stove and allow the cans to cool. Then carefully remove each can of peaches from the canner using a jar grabber and place them on the counter at room temperature in a safe place for 12 hours until each of the jars has sealed.
Looking for more PEACH recipes?
What can I do with peaches that have been canned? Here are some perfect canned peach recipes that you’ll love. These recipes are perfect for unsweetened canned peaches, cooked canned peaches, and the healthiest canned peaches.
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