How to Can Peaches: 3 Tips for Preserving Peaches

To can peaches, allot a half-hour of prep time (the total time with canning will come to an hour), and follow these steps:

1. 1. Sterilize your canning jars. Run your quart jars through the dishwasher or dip them with tongs into boiling water after cleaning with soap and then rinsing. The hot water will kill off harmful bacteria. Be sure to use new lids. Once you’ve cleaned your jars, fill them halfway with hot water—hot jars will be less likely to crack once submerged in the water bath canner later on.
2. 2. Wash your peaches. Take your bushel of peaches and gently rinse them with cool water. Lay them out on a paper towel and pat them to fully dry.
3. 3. Remove the pits from your peaches. Once dry, use a paring knife to bisect your peaches; freestone peaches will be easier to work with as the pit is not attached to the flesh. Use your hands or a spoon to remove and throw out the pit. Place your peach halves in a large bowl.
4. 4. Create your simple syrup. In a stovetop pot, combine your syrup ingredients. You can customize your syrup to your personal taste; for a light syrup, use six cups water to one cup sugar, or for a medium syrup try five cups water to two cups sugar. Raise the heat, stirring the boiling syrup occasionally.
5. 5. Make an ice bath. Fill a salad bowl or other large bowl half with cold water and half with ice. You will use this after you blanch your peaches.
6. 6. Boil water to blanch your peaches. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to place your peach halves into the water, letting them blanch for a minute. Then remove the peaches and place them in your ice water for a minute.
7. 7. Peel your peaches. After the ice bath, the sliced peaches’ skin should be loose or coming off. Peel the peaches and place them in a separate, dry bowl.
8. 8. Prepare a water bath. Since a pressure canner is not necessary for canning peaches, water bath canning is a DIY way to preserve your fruit. In a stockpot, bring water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover your jars with a two-inch headspace as they will eventually be submerged in your water bath canner. After the water reaches a boil, turn it down to a simmer.
9. 9. Fill your jars. Empty the warm water from each jar, then pack the peaches into the jars, leaving half an inch of headspace at the top. Then, ladle your hot syrup over the peaches until you reach the top of the jar.
10. 10. Place in your water bath canner. Remove air bubbles from your jars by running chopsticks along the inside rim of the jar. Cover each jar with a top, twisting it to close. Bring the pot to a boil again, then lower to a simmer, immediately placing your jars into your canner. Cover the pot for a processing time of twenty-five minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and the lid from the pot, and let it sit and cool for five minutes. (If you do not have a water bath canner, you can place a rack in the bottom of a stockpot, or construct a platform for the jars with aluminum foil.)
11. 11. Store your jars. Remove the jars from the pot and set on towels so they dry and cool. The lids will begin to pop within thirty minutes of being removed from the canner. Store the jars in a cool, dark place, where they can last for up to two years. Enjoy the peaches in canning recipes, and, once the jars are open, store them in the refrigerator.

If it’s your first time trying out home canning, consider the following tips so your preserves stay fresh and your peach recipes boast flavor:

1. 1. Treat your peaches with lemon juice. After halving your peaches, toss them in your bowl with some lemon juice, which will help the exposed flesh maintain its color and stay fresher for longer.
2. 2. Use juice as your sugar syrup. There are many ways to customize your canning process. While sugar or honey are common sweeteners for canned peaches, juices work as well. Mix an apple or white grape juice with water to act as your sweetener and flavor your canned good.
3. 3. Freeze your peaches. As an alternative to canning peaches, freezing peaches will ensure their longevity. Halve your peaches (keeping the skin on), and blanch in boiling water for a minute. Remove from the pot and place in an ice bath for a minute. Then, store your peaches in an airtight container. Place in the freezer, where they’ll keep for six months.

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