Canning Peaches
Simple Guidelines for Canning Peaches
Canning peaches can be fun, plus it can give you a nice treat when peaches are out of season. If you live in a warm climate, you can get some great peaches in bulk at local farmers’ markets. The process is also the same for canning nectarines, so if you are fond of those, you can make a day out of it canning both of these fruits.
The first thing you have to do is choose your peaches. For canning, ripe peaches are in order. Don’t buy the hard ones and wait for them to ripen. Buy peaches that are juicy and ready to eat. A quart jar will hold approximately five whole peaches. That means if your canner holds seven quarts, you will need very close to eighteen pounds of peaches for one canning load. If you buy a bushel of peaches, it weighs around forty-eight pounds.
Peaches have to be canned in either sugar and water or juice. If you use sugar, the peaches will have a better color than without. The amount of sugar to use is up to you. If you want a heavy syrup, add four cups of sugar to each six cups of water. Medium syrup is about 50% sugar to 50% water (e.g. 3 cups sugar to each 6 cups water), and light syrup only requires 2 cups of sugar to each 6 cups water. If you are a diabetic, Splenda can be used but not many other sugarless alternatives. In order to mix your water and sugar, heat the water so that it is hot but not to the boiling point.
The next step to canning peaches is to wash and skin them. It is not imperative that the skins be removed but most people seem to prefer that method. Removal of skins is easy--simply dip the peaches into boiling water for one minute and then into cold water for two-three minutes. The skins will come off very easily--this is called blanching. Remove the peach pit and then cut up the peaches however you prefer them to be canned--halves, quarters, or sliced. If you sprinkle lemon juice onto each bowl of peaches, they will not turn brown during the processing.
Add the peaches to the hot sugar syrup you prepared. Bring to almost boiling for five minutes. The peaches should be packed down into sterile jars. It helps reduce air bubbles if you take a knife or spatula and run it around the inside of the jar. Air bubbles will not affect the canning negatively. Then add the sugar syrup to each peach jar, leaving at least a half-inch of space at the top. Wipe the top of the canning jar and attach the lid and screw band.
The peaches may be processed in either a boiling water bath or a pressure canner. Processing times will differ depending on your elevation. They are generally in the 20-30 minute range but check with your county extension agent for the exact number of minutes. When done, carefully remove the jars from the canner and check the seals. If the middle of the cover has a little hump or bump visible, it is not sealed. Pushing down on it will make a popping noise. Any unsealed jars need to be refrigerated and eaten within a week. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place. That’s it--you are done canning peach. Enjoy!