Today we’ll be canning peaches. Yummy. The first thing you need to do is get some peaches. There are lots of different varieties of peaches, but they come in two types: cling and freestone. If you’ve got a choice, you want a freestone variety. They are much easier to work with. The cling peaches are called that because the flesh “clings” to the pit, and so has to be freed by a pitting spoon or some such measure requiring a great deal more labor than just starting out with a freestone peach. A freestone peach has a pit or “stone” that comes “free” from the flesh (separates) easily. So if you’re looking to plant a peach tree on your property, I’d look for a freestone variety.
After you’ve got some peaches, get them washed up and pretty. Now we’ll skin them.
Skinning a peach is really quite easy. Get some water boiling in a pot. Dip the peaches in the boiling water for a while. The book says 30-60 seconds, but I’ve left them longer with no ill effects. You can tell when they’re ready to come out because the color of the skin changes–the red will dull a bit–you’ll see what I’m talking about when you do it.
Then take them out of the boiling water and put them immediately in cold water. I have a really cool metal basket thing (you can see the handles in the above picture) that allows me to put a basket of peaches in the water and then pull them all out and transport them to the sink. Slick. Much better than fishing one peach at a time out of the pot of boiling water, but that works too.
Now the skins should slip off the peaches easily. These are kind of mini peaches, but hey, they were free, so I’m not complaining.
If your skins do not slip off, you might have cling peaches, or your peaches may not be ripe enough. The skin of underripe peaches does not come off easily and causes a great deal of frustration! If you have underripe peaches, just wait a couple of days for them to ripen up a bit before canning and save yourself the trouble of peeling them with a knife.
After they are peeled, use the dent along the side of the peach as a guide to cut the peach in half and remove the pit.
Now you can leave them halved or cut them in slices, whichever you prefer. I like slices, but halves are faster, so I have some of both in the storage.
Put the cut peaches in a bowl containing 2 quarts of water and 2 TB FruitFresh or EverFresh or some similar product to prevent browning.
Meanwhile, get your boiling water canner, pot of lids, and syrup heating up. Syrup is a ratio thing. 1 sugar to 4 water is a light syrup, 1 sugar to 2 water is heavy. I like 1 sugar to 3 water. Use whatever you want to measure the sugar and water as long as you pour it in the pot according to the ratio.
I have a friend that skips the syrup and just puts 1/4 cup sugar in each quart jar after she’s filled it with peaches and then pours boiling water over the top of it all to fill the jar. She claims it’s less messy than using syrup. Might have to try that next year.
Now, put the peaches in your jars and pour the hot syrup over them to the bottom of the neck. Free the air bubbles. There’s a tool for bubble freeing, but I just use a butter knife and poke it in about 4 times around the edge of the peaches and do a little squeeze/wiggle with it to get the air out.
Wipe the rims of the jars clean, screw on your hot lids and rings and process the jars in the canner. 25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts. Pull your jars out when they’re done and put them on a rack to cool. My rack is my super thrifty oven rack upside down, one side supported by an upside down plate. Some people just use thick dish towels to set their jars on.
Enjoy! Especially lovely to look at on the shelf and delicious over vanilla ice cream . . . :)
Keep preparing! Angela
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Mariah says
For once, I actually did something that you did BEFORE reading your post! Yes!
Katidids says
I put up quite a few peaches this year & we are just now starting to enjoy them. Nothing more rewarding than to eat a meal that you hunted for & grew yourself!
FernWise says
I use a chopstick to get air bubbles out of jars when canning.
Nothing quite perks up a meal like taking out home-canned peaches and making a cobbler.
Frondly, Fern
Momnerd says
I'm drying a whole bunch of apples right now. Aren't you proud of me? lol
Aimee says
you said water bath canner, but don't peaches need to be pressure canned? Low acid?
Angela says
M, I should hope anybody bottling peaches this year has them done already ;)
Katidids, I feel the same way.
FernWise, Great idea! We have lots of chopsticks. Less likely to scrape the jars with a chopstick.
MomNerd, I'm so pleased I about can't stand it–Way to go!
Aimee, peaches, like most fruits are high acid and are canned in the water bath canner. Veggies like beans, corn, beets, etc. and meats are low acid and go in the pressure canner. If in doubt, I always check my Ball Blue Book. Thanks for the question!
Chief Instructor says
I got a few dozen White Peaches this summer and made up a great jam. I've got a sweet tooth, but this was actually a bit TOO sweet, even for me.
It sure is good on English muffins or warmed and drizzled over ice cream, though!
Tom says
Just a thought on fruit canning. I use steam processing to get my seal (because that’s all I’m really after. Applesauce, Jams or hot pak fruits.
1. my jars are sterilzed from washing and oven of 250′
2. my food is hot – usually boiling.
3. all i’m interested in is a good clean seal.
I invert my rack in the canner – put about 2 inches of water, or up to the bottom of the rack. Fill canner with jars
They have large stock pots with lids that have a little hole in them. Perfect for steam. If not, you can drill 3 -1/8″ holes on the edge of the canning lid. It’s just a gage.
Start the boiling. When the water is to a rolling boil, the steam will start coming out the little holes. Once you have a constant stream of steam, start your timer. Process for the same times as normal. I always go 5-10 minutes longer.
Once done, shut off flame, open lid and let them sit for a couple minutes. They’ll be popping as you lift them out. Quarts will take longer. But the seals are just as good as full immersion bath.
You use considerably less water – steam is hotter than boiling water and all you’re really interested in, at this point, is a good seal – you shouldn’t be trying to “cook the food”. If so, then use the full bath method.
This is my method – but I would NEVER recommend it to anyone ;-)