Canned Peach Slices
Take advantage of the bounties of summer by water bath canning your own peaches so you can enjoy the bright, sweet flavors of peaches even during the dark winter days.
Equipment
- 1 water bath canner or large stockpot
- quart or pint canning jars
- lids and rings
- 1 jar lifter
Ingredients
Peaches
Water
Sugar
Instructions
Preparing your jars
- Wash jars, rings, and lids in warm soapy water. Allow jars, lids and rings to airdry on a towel or drying rack.
- Place your jars in the rack of your water bath canner, or in a pot of warm water. Keep them heating while you prepare your peaches, if using the hot pack method.
Prepping your peaches
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
- Cut an "x" into the bottom of each peach. Place the peaches into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove from the boiling water and place peaches into an ice water bath to cool. Repeat until all peaches have been blanched.
- Once the peaches have cooled enough to handle, remove skins from the peaches.
- Cut peach into slices. If using the cold pack method, pack peach slices into jars now.
Prepare your syrup
- Extra light syrup - 20% sugar. Combine 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 5 1/2 cups of water.Light Syrup - 30% sugar. Combine 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 5 1/4 cups of water.Medium syrup - 40% sugar. Combine 3 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 5 cups of water.Heavy syrup - 50% sugar. Combine 4 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 4 cups water.Honey - 1 cup of honey combined with 4 cups of water.
- If using the hot pack method, cook peaches, one layer at a time in the syrup. Cook until the peach slices have been warmed through.
- Place hot peaches into hot jars, ladle syrup over the peaches leaving a 1/2" headspace. If using the cold pack method, ladle warm syrup over the cool peaches, leaving a 1/2" headspace.
- Using a butter knife, remove any air bubbles that were trapped when adding the syrup.
- Wipe the rims clean. Place lids on jars and tighten rings to finger tip tightness.
Canning your peaches
- Add jars to the water bath canner or stockpot. Ensure there is at least an inch of water over the tops of the jars. Bring water to a rolling boil with the lid on the pot.
- Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pot. Allow the jars to sit for five minutes.
- Carefully lift jars out of the canner and place them onto a towel lined counter space.
- Allow them to sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
- Remove rings and check the jars for seals. Any jars that did not seal should be placed in the fridge and used up within a few days.
- Wash sealed jars, label, and store.
Notes
Each pint can hold 2-3 peaches while a quart can hold 4-5 peaches.
If you'd like to can peaches without any added sugars, you need to use the hot pack method. Instead of cooking the peaches in a syrup before adding to the jars, cook in water and top off the jars with that cooking water.
For more on the differences between the hot pack and cold pack method, see post.
Don't have a water bath canner? Reference the post to see how you can use a large stock pot to can your fruits.