How to can peaches?

NickieL · #1 07/26/12, 06:58 PM

Looks like I'm going to get me a bunch of peaches this sunday. A co-worker says her neighbor doesn't want the fruit on her trees to go to waste. Asked if I wanted some...she would bring some in. I said heck, I'll go pick em with her! Since I lost my peach tree this year (dumb weather) I will be so glad to get some. Since my tree was young yet I had not gotten enough to can before. So I will be able to get quite a lot and want to be prepared with extra sugar and lemon juice or whatever it is I need for canned peaches. So can someone give me and idea of thier favorite way to can peaches?

Limon · #2 07/26/12, 07:17 PM

National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Can

Recipes with peaches can be found in the canning fruit, pie fillings, salsa and pickles categories.

Pickle peaches are an odd thing, personally. They mellow with age, but it's a sweet, spicy and acidic tang combination that some people love and some hate.

NickieL · #3 07/26/12, 07:22 PM

Thanks! I am really excited to get these.

#4 07/26/12, 07:28 PM

When i can them, I have to can them in store bought grape juice, because dh is diabetic.
Here they are so expensive, it's cheaper to buy store bought canned ones.
So it has been years since I have canned any.
IThe canned goods store had the large can for 50 cents for a while, so I bought about 8 cases.

NickieL · #5 07/26/12, 07:51 PM

It will be less for me to can as I already have jars and lids stocked up. The peaches will be free except for time and labor. We are not diabetic so we can put ours in a light syrup and I have sugar on hand, may have to get some more though to replenish after canning

jwal10 · #6 07/26/12, 08:32 PM

We like to half them and quarter that. We have a steam juicer and can in the juice. We dunk the peaches in hot water to make them peel easier then cut and put in water with lemon juice to keep them from getting dark. Pack in jars add juice and can. Good tree ripe peaches are sooooo much better than store bought. We like refrigerator jam from the pectin box recipe. Great on pancakes....James

#7 07/26/12, 08:35 PM

becareful when you scald them, or they will mush out.
You might want to sort them and use the softer ones, to make preserves.

Yvonne's hubby · #8 07/26/12, 08:35 PM

If they are freestone they go a lot faster than clings. I just get shed of the innards and feathers... pack them in a clean jar... pour a bit of sugar water over them, (about two cups sugar to a gallon of hot water) leaving about a half inch of empty space at the top, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each jar, screw the lids down and hot water bath them. I NEVER EVER trust memory for the processing times.... not even if I ran a batch yesterday.... always, always, always refer to the proper time and pressure charts.

julieq · #9 07/26/12, 08:47 PM

I could can peaches in my sleep. I get my jars ready and also my water bath canner. I put a little lemon juice in the bottom of each canning jar, perhaps a tablespoon and make a light syrup with either sugar or honey, whichever I have on hand.

I have a tall stainless steel stock pot that I fill with water and get to boiling. Then drop a few peaches in and boil for a minute or two. Then transfer to a strainer in the sink and run cold water on them. The skins then slip off easily and the peaches are sliced and put into quart jars and covered with light syrup. Water bath process according to your local altitude. Done!

The only thing about peaches is that they cover my stove! Between the water bath canner, the small pot with lids simmering, the syrup and the stock pot for boiling the peaches, it's necessary to have something already in the oven for dinner.

cmtigger · #10 07/26/12, 08:53 PM

If they are cling, these "spoons" work the best from what I've found. Peach Pitting Spoon

Awnry Abe · #11 07/26/12, 09:06 PM

We used that "volcanic" lemon juice last time. It was too strong and overpowered the mellowness of the peaches. We'll use ordinary lemon juice this time.

ajaxlucy · #12 07/26/12, 09:12 PM

Brandied peaches!

lonelyfarmgirl · #13 07/26/12, 09:13 PM

I am canning peaches right this very moment. That will make 28 quarts for today. I do not use anything but peaches and juice. No lemon juice and no sugar. I have a steam juicer, so I juice my own pears and apples. I usually can in straight pear juice. We prefer to drink the apple juice. You could buy frozen juice from the store and reconstitute it for that.

I peel mine with a carrot peeler. I have tried the scalding water then ice water thing. The skins do come off, but then the peach is slimy and mushy on the outside. Yuk. I have canned skin on since peeling is a pain. Eh.

Anyway, after all the jar prep, I pour in an inch of hot pear juice, stuff in peach slices, and then fill the rest with pear juice. One inch head space. Use a chopstick to jiggle in there for air bubbles.

If you raw pack, they will shrink up and it will look like you only have half a jar when done. If you cook them first, in the canning juice, you can fit more per jar. I raw pack. Hot packing takes more time, of which I have none.

Its 25 minutes in boiling water bath for quarts. Probably 20 minutes for pints, but don't hold me to that. I only do quarts.

By the way, you will get (raw pack) 16-18 quarts per half bushel, approximately. I have two WB canners, so I roll two at once. Its all that will fit on my stove anyway (hood microwave).
Any leftover slices from each half bushel, I make pie or cobbler, or we just eat them.

empofuniv · #14 07/26/12, 09:39 PM

My g'ma used to make whole pickled peaches. Man they were a treat! When I retire next year I sure hope to start re-learning how to can.

Limon · #15 07/26/12, 10:39 PM

A peach-peeling tip I picked up recently from a talk given by a canning blogger:

Slice the peach in half, remove the pit and then drop in boiling water/ice water. Give the peach half a quick squeeze and the skin slips right off. This way, you don't have to handle the scalded peach to try to get the pit out, so it doesn't get as mushed.

farmmom · #16 07/27/12, 05:27 AM

I love to do them in white grape juice. No sugar is needed and the peaches and juice are delicious!

beaglebiz · #17 07/27/12, 07:16 AM

Nickie, if you are able, pick up a copy of the "Ball Blue Book". it has instructions to can pretty much anything.

Common Tator · #18 07/27/12, 08:19 AM

I use Fruit Fresh instead of lemon juice. Slightly tart, but no strong taste. And it keeps the peaches from discoloring.

Felicity · #19 07/27/12, 08:27 AM

This is the site I use to get canning instructions. I like
it because it is step by step instructions with PHOTOS.

I have only canned pears so far, but here is a link to the
peaches instructions. You will need to scroll down once
you are there.

http://www.pickyourown.org/peachescanning.htm

Good luck and have fun! :>)

Vickie44 · #20 07/27/12, 11:05 AM

I do peaches in OJ and ginger that come out great , a little change from regular canned peaches.

Laura Zone 5 · #21 07/27/12, 11:07 AM

How to can your own homemade peaches (complete directions with photos)

I LOVE this site.
Shows how to make peach butter, peach syrup, can peaches, and SO much more!!!

PaulNKS · #22 07/27/12, 11:23 AM

I add no water to my peaches. I think it dilutes the flavor. I do them the way my mother and grandmother always did. I prepare the peaches (skin, pit, slice.) Then I pour sugar over them and gently stir it in. I put them in a "dish pan" as I slice them. They are the perfect size for a batch and slide into the fridge easily. For one of those pans, I use about 4 to 5 pounds of sugar. The sugar will make it's own juice by pulling it out of the peaches. I then cover them with a towel and set them in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I strain the syrup off the peaches and heat it while I pack my jars. Then I pour the syrup over the peaches and process.

It makes the best peaches. I usually have at least a couple quarts of the peach flavored syrup left over and use it on pancakes, over ice cream, etc...

Ohio dreamer · #23 07/27/12, 11:51 AM

No tips.....just drooling with peach envy!

Great job keep your ears open and letting people know your interested in cast offs! I just ran into a similar possibility with a friend of mine....they have more raspberries then the care to pick come end of season and have little use for all the apples their trees give them!! Pays to hang out and chat a bit sometimes.

Sanza · #24 07/27/12, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulNKS

I add no water to my peaches. I think it dilutes the flavor. I do them the way my mother and grandmother always did. I prepare the peaches (skin, pit, slice.) Then I pour sugar over them and gently stir it in. I put them in a "dish pan" as I slice them. They are the perfect size for a batch and slide into the fridge easily. For one of those pans, I use about 4 to 5 pounds of sugar. The sugar will make it's own juice by pulling it out of the peaches. I then cover them with a towel and set them in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I strain the syrup off the peaches and heat it while I pack my jars. Then I pour the syrup over the peaches and process.

It makes the best peaches. I usually have at least a couple quarts of the peach flavored syrup left over and use it on pancakes, over ice cream, etc...

This sounds soo good!
Can you please give a estimation of how many pounds of peaches, or even how many jars your batch will make? Do you need to use lemon juice to prevent the peaches from discoloring?

Jan in CO · #25 07/27/12, 02:47 PM

I've gotten to the point where I don't use any sugar or sweetner in the 'syrup' for canning peaches. Just got a first place on my canned peach slices at the county fair, so it must work! They have to be ripe, so they're sweet enough, but just scald, peel into a bowl with a little lemon juice in water, then into the jar and cover with boiling water. Seal and into the canner. Easy. No one here complains that they aren't sweet enough, and they are firm and just as good, without all the extra sugar.

jkhs · #26 07/27/12, 02:50 PM

Whatever you do, don't throw away the peach skins after you peel them. They make a wonderful peach syrup that's great over oatmeal, pancakes, or ice cream.

Peach Syrup

Take one pound of peach peels and pits and put into a heavy pot. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain juice to remove pulp. Mix 2 cups of peach juice with 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes (or until syrupy). **If you boil too long you can get jelly.** While it's boiling STIR CONSTANTLY, it boils over easily and makes a HUGE mess. Fill 1/2 pint jars leaving 1/4" headspace, and hot water bath for 10 minutes.

My math: 1 lug of peaches (39 peaches) makes just under 3 pounds of peelings. I add a few peach slices (about 1/2 a peach) to get up to 3 pounds. This makes 4 cups of juice, which once cooked with the sugar makes 5 half pints of syrup.

luvrulz · #27 07/27/12, 03:32 PM

I mix them up in a kind of peach pie filling recipe and put them in hot jars, turn them upside down and we're good to go. Excellent on pancakes, cheesecake, etc, etc. I mix it into yogurt too - all sorts of stuff.

The recipe depends on the amount of peeled sliced peaches (about 12-14 cups), but it's about 3 T. corn starch, a cup sugar + or - depending on sweetness desired.... Mix that together. Heat the peaches up and add some lemon juice (and a little water if they're not too juicy...) Gradually add the corn starch/sugar mix and keep the heat low. Eventually it will thicken up and the corn startch will clear. You need to watch it because it will easily burn the pan... My Amish lady friends also put a little dry kool aid mix to it before they can it. Says it helps peaches and strawberries to hold their color.

I use it with all fruit except apples and pears.... But if you need to precise recipe,

blynn · #28 07/27/12, 04:02 PM

The Ball Book of Canning has a great peach salsa recipe.. I had 20+ half pints of that last year, two left now. Planning on making at least that many again this year.

PaulNKS · #29 07/27/12, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sanza

This sounds soo good!
Can you please give a estimation of how many pounds of peaches, or even how many jars your batch will make? Do you need to use lemon juice to prevent the peaches from discoloring?

Well.... Today, I finished a little more than half a dish pan and got 6 quarts of peaches plus 3 pints of additional syrup. I don't use lemon juice. I've found that if I sprinkle a little sugar on them as I go, they don't turn brown. The ones I took out of the bath canner are a deep yellow orange. Beautiful color.

NickieL · #30 07/27/12, 08:25 PM

Awesome guys and gals!!!!!