A step by step tutorial for Canning Peaches with a water bath canner. All you need is ripe peaches, jars, sugar, and water!
I love canning peaches and using them to make homemade peach cobbler all year round!
My kids LOVE helping me can peaches! If you love preserving delicious things, check out my canned Applesauce, canned tomatoes, and blackberry jam or raspberry, strawberry, and peach freezer jam.
Growing up, my mom taught us how to can, and it's a little piece of my childhood that I hope to pass on to my children. It's a great way to preserve fruits and this step by step tutorial will allow you to enjoy fresh peaches all year round!
Equipment for Canning Peaches:
To make 7 quarts of peaches (1 batch):
- 7 sterilized quart jars with lids and rings
- Waterbath canner
- Jar grabber, or some sort of tongs to lift the hot jars
- Peaches (about 17 lbs fresh, ripe peaches)
- Sugar, honey, or juice
Which peaches are best?
Freestone peaches are the best and easiest to use for canning because unlike “cling” stone peaces, the pit comes out very easily. Cling peaches stick to the pit and are very difficult to separate so you'll likely loose a lot of good peach flesh in the process of trying to remove the pit.
Avoid white peaches for canning as they are thought to not have a high enough acidic content to withstand canning safely. Choose peaches that are large and ripe, but not overly ripe. Make sure they are still slightly firm when you squeeze them.
Simple Syrup for Canning:
One of the great things about canning your own peaches is you can choose what type of syrup to use and how much sugar to use. My recipes uses the light sugar syrup.
How to Can Peaches:
*Find the printable recipe in greater detail at the bottom of the post.
Prep your jars: Sterilize jars and rings (I wash mine on the “bottle” cycle in my dishwasher) and purchase new un-used lids, for a proper seal.
Prep water bath: Fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover about 2 inches above the jars. Bring the water to a boil. You want to keep the water hot until you are ready to add the jars.
Peel peaches and add to jars! Follow my tutorial for how to peel peaches by blanching them in hot water, then putting them in an ice bath so the skin peels off really easily. Then fill your jars with fresh peach slices as you slice them.
Add simple syrup: Mix sugar with very hot water, stir and pour into each peach jar. Tap the jars gently on the counter to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims and sides of the jars clean before applying the lids.
Place jars in prepared canner: Place a hot lid securely on top of each of the jars, secure with the rings, then lower them into water bath. Bring the water to a boil, then process them for 25 minutes (longer if at high altitude).
Remove jars and let rest. Place a large towel or dishrag on your countertop. After the 25 minutes is up, turn the burner off and remove the lid. Allow the jars to rest for 5 more minutes, then use tongs or jar lifters to move the jars onto the towel to rest. Allow the jars to cool completely before storing them in a dry place.
Test and Store. After several hours you can check the seals by tapping the top of the jars to make sure they all sealed properly before you store them. If the center pops up and down at all, they did not seal properly (stick the jar in the fridge and eat within a week).
Storing Tips:
How long? When you are finished canning peaches, be sure to store them properly. They will store for 12-18 months (at best quality), and are often safe eating even longer after that.
Did they seal properly? Check if your peaches are safe to eat by looking for signs of leaking or rusting on the mason jars. Press down on the center of the lid: it should not pop back. If it sits flat it is safe, but if it pops back, it has not sealed properly. Also make sure there is still liquid covering the peaches and that the peaches look like a nice bright color.
What if they didn't seal? If your peaches haven't sealed properly, you have a couple options. You can eat them now, put them in the fridge and eat them within in a few days, or reprocess them. If reprocessing in the water bath canner, first check there there weren't any cracks in the jar and then use a new lid to reseal.
If your peaches start to develop a foul odor, become discolored, or if you see signs of mold, these are signs of spoilage and you should discard them!
Hot pack vs. Raw pack:
This recipe uses the raw pack canning method where jars are filled with raw peaches as opposed to filling them with hot, cooked peaches in the hot pack method. Both methods involve adding a hot syrup to jars once peaches have been added. Raw packing is simpler and faster, but may result in floating fruit (fruit that floats to the top of the jar after processing). Hot pack canning is thought to result in fruit that is more brightly colored and may have a longer shelf life. Hot packed canning takes a little longer as you have to handle hot peaches and liquid, and they need to process for 5 additional minutes. To use the hot pack method, see recipe variations below.
If you can the peaches without additional sugar (adding only water, without a simple syrup, honey or juice), you must hot pack the fruit.
Recipe Variations:
- Hot pack canning: To use the hot pack method, in step 7 of the recipe card, use a large pot to heat the 6 cups of water and slowly stir in the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn to a simmer and add the sliced peaces. Simmer the peaches for about 5 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to fill the jars with the hot peaches. Fill with hot syrup and continue with remaining directions.
- No water bath canner? If you don't have a water bath canner, check out this resource for canning peaches with a regular stock pot.
- Freeze peaches: another great option for preserving fresh peaches is to freeze them. Peel and cut peaches and store them in a freezer safe bag or container for 5-6 months. Use them to make peach frozen yogurt, or in smoothies.
- Add cinnamon: for a yummy cinnamon flavor, place one cinnamon stick in the bottom of each jar before adding the peaches.
- Add vanilla: for a yummy vanilla flavor, add a vanilla bean pod (slit and seeds removed), to the simple syrup when you heat it. Remove it before pouring liquid on peaches.
- Substitute sugar for honey or juice: see graphic above for ratios to use when substituting honey or juice in this recipe.
Looking for more PEACH recipes?
- Peach Cobbler
- Peach Scones
- Baked Peaches
- Fresh Peach Pie
- Peach Crisp
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Recipe
How to Can Peaches
Ingredients
- 17 lbs fresh and ripe peaches , preferably freestone (don't use white peaches!)
- 7 quart jars with rings and new lids , sterilized
- Water bath canner
- granulated sugar
- jar grabber or tongs , to lift the hot jars
Instructions
- Sterilize Jars: Make sure the jars and rings are clean and sterile (I sterilize them in the dishwasher an hour before starting). Make sure you have new, un-used lids, for a proper seal.
- Fill water bath canner: add enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches once they are immersed in the water. Place on the stove and bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Peel Peaches: Fill a separate large pot of water and bring to a high simmer. Add the peaches to the hot water (in batches, if needed), for about 30 seconds. This will help loosen the skins, making them really easy to peel. Remove peaches to an ice water bath, then peel them. The skin should come off really easily. Remove the pit, and cut them into large slices.
- Fill jars with peaches as you slice them. You can fill them pretty full, and gently tap the bottle on the counter top to help them settle inside.
- Add Simple Syrup: For light syrup, mix 2 cups of sugar with 6 cups of very hot water. (See syrup chart in the post, for variations). Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Pour some of the simple syrup into each jar, leaving 1/2'' headspace at the top. Gently tap the jars to release any air bubbles.
- Wipe the sides and rims of the jars with a clean rag. Place a clean lid securely on top of each of the jars. Secure with the rings.
- Process in Waterbath: Use jar lifters or tongs to gently place the jars in your hot water bath (or use the rack to lower them down, if it comes with one). Add more water to the canner, if needed, to cover the tops of the jars. Cover with the lid and bring water back to a boil. Once boiling, process the jars for 25 minutes.
- Remove and Rest: Place a large towel or dishrag on your countertop. After the 25 minutes is up, turn the burner off (if you have an electric flat top stove, gently move the pot off the burner) remove the lid and allow the jars to rest in the pot for 5 minutes. Then use tongs or jar lifters to move the jars onto the towel to rest.
- Check Seals: After a few hours you can check the seals to make sure they all sealed properly before you store them. When you press on the center of the lid it should be sealed down. If you hear or feel it pop back at all, then it didn't seal properly. Also make sure there is still liquid covering the peaches and that the peaches look like a nice bright color. If they didn't seal properly you can refrigerate them and enjoy within a few days, or reprocess in the water bath.
- Store: Allow the jars to cool completely before storing them in a cool, dry place for 12-18 months (at best quality–they are often safe eating even longer after that).
- If your peaches start to develop a foul odor, become discolored, or if you see signs of mold, these are signs of spoilage and you should discard them.
Notes
- Hot pack canning: To use the hot pack method, in step 7 of the recipe card, use a large pot to heat the 6 cups of water and slowly stir in the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn to a simmer and add the sliced peaces. Simmer the peaches for about 5 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to fill the jars with the hot peaches. Fill with hot syrup and process for 30 minutes (Add an additional 5-10 minutes for high altitude).
- No water bath canner? If you don't have a water bath canner, check out this resource for canning peaches with a regular stock pot.
- Freeze peaches: another great option for preserving fresh peaches is to freeze them. Peel and cut peaches and store them in a freezer safe bag or container for 5-6 months. Use them to make peach frozen yogurt, or in smoothies.
- Add cinnamon: for a yummy cinnamon flavor, place one cinnamon stick in the bottom of each jar before adding the peaches.
- Add vanilla: for a yummy vanilla flavor, add a vanilla bean pod (slit and seeds removed), to the simple syrup when you heat it. Remove it before pouring liquid on peaches.
- Substitute sugar for honey or juice: see graphic above for ratios to use when substituting honey or juice in this recipe.
Nutrition
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe August 2015. Updated July 2021.
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Followed this recipe added cinnamon and 1 1/2 oz. of bourbon to each pint. Will report results later.
How did it out?
First time canning peaches (but experienced in pressure canning) so used this five star recipe. A bit disappointed that there was direction to “fill jars” but no indication of headspace in jar. Also, my understanding is hot jars go in hot water but this recipe calls for cold jars into hot water, increasing the chance of breakage. I decided to hot pack jars instead but now my peaches look pretty mushy in the jars after cooking the peaches for five minutes in the syrup and then canning for 25 minutes. I had a ton of simple syrup leftover. Might look for another recipe next year.
Always read instructions first:
5. Add Simple Syrup: For light syrup, mix 2 cups of sugar with 6 cups of very hot water. (See syrup chart in the post, for variations). Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Pour some of the simple syrup into each jar, leaving 1/2” headspace at the top. Gently tap the jars to release any air bubbles.
Very easy to follow
After jars are cooled, can they be eaten right away?
Yes, sure!
Couldn’t have done canning my peaches without you. Thanks!
Can you use a steam canner instead of water bath?
Is it necessary to add citric acid for water bath canning of peaches? Thank you
Did you ever find out?