Preserving Peaches at Home: A Comprehensive Guide to Homemade Canned Peaches
Preservingpeaches at home is a breeze with a few jars, a large pot, and some sugar! Here's how to kick-start your peach canning journey.
Table of Contents
- Peaches for Canning
- Choosing the Right Peaches
- Peach Syrups
- Special Syrups: Honey and Maple
- Hot Pack vs Raw Pack
- Peeling Peaches
- Canning Procedure
- Canning Recipe
- Storing and Enjoying Your Canned Peaches
- Venturing Beyond the Basics: Peach Jelly and Jam, Pickled Peaches, and More!
We've recently planted our first peach trees, but they won't bear fruit for a while. In the meantime, we've been stocking up on Amish peaches from Pennsylvania. Let's dive into the sweet world of canning those juicy fruits!
Peaches for Canning
When it comes to canning peaches, any yellow-fleshed peaches are fair game. For the best results, select freestone peaches. If you come across clingstone peaches, they'll work too, but plan on canning them as slices instead of halves.
Choosing the Right Peaches
- Freestone: Easy to work with as the flesh separates from the pit.
- Clingstone: Requires more effort but offers a more flavorful experience.
- Size: Smaller peaches are more efficient to work with if you're canning halves.
- Ripeness: Just ripe yields the best texture. Firm yet no longer green around the stem.
Peach Syrups
Peach syrups range from light to medium, depending on your preference for sweetness. Here's how to make each variation:
- Water Pack: Simple and straightforward, using boiling water to prevent loss of flavor.
- Juice Pack: Infuse flavor and natural sweetness with fruit juices like apple or white grape.
- Light Syrup: Sweetens the peaches minimally, adding just enough to prevent leaching of sugars.
- Medium Syrup: Best for those who love their peaches extra sweet!
Special Syrups: Honey and Maple
If you're after a unique flavor profile, go for honey or maple syrup to sweeten your peaches. For both, use about 2/3rds as much as you would white sugar.
Hot Pack vs Raw Pack
While raw pack is an option, hot pack results in better quality canned peaches. Hot pack peaches are boiled in syrup before canning, which helps them maintain their shape and texture.
Peeling Peaches
Before canning, blanch the peaches in boiling water for approx 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Afterward, peel them using your hands or a knife.
Canning Procedure
Let's get canning! I prefer the hot pack method using very light syrup.
- Prepare Syrup: Combine sugar and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Prepare Peaches: Slice peaches, remove pits, and treat with ascorbic acid or lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Add Peaches to Boiling Syrup: Cook for a couple of minutes before packing the jar.
- Pack Jars: Place hot peaches in sterilized jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Top with boiling syrup.
- Process: Seal jars with lids, remove air bubbles, and process in a water bath canner (25 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts).
Storing and Enjoying Your Canned Peaches
Canned peaches should keep for up to a year now that you've stored them safely in a cool, dark location. Time to whip up that winter peach cobbler!
Venturing Beyond the Basics: Peach Jelly and Jam, Pickled Peaches, and More!
When you've mastered canning peaches, explore new horizons with peach jelly and jam, pickled peaches, and more preservation techniques. Keep your pantry stocked and tantalize your taste buds all year long!
- During the off-season, we've been trying out various canning methods for our Amish peaches, with a focus on pressure canning and water bath canning.
- As we eagerly await our home-grown peach trees to bear fruit, canning recipes featuring peaches have become an integral part of our food-and-drink lifestyle, contributing to our home-and-garden projects.
- Apart from canning peaches themselves, we've also ventured into creating dehydrated peach slices as a delicious addition to our cooking repertoire.
- To further diversify our food preservation skills, we've experimented with creating peach jelly, jam, and even pickled peaches, extending the joy of peach season throughout the year.
