How to Make Homemade Canned Peaches, Plums, Pears, Plums, Nectarines and Cherries
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You think making and canning your own peaches, pears, plums, cherries or nectarines is difficult or expensive? Not at all! Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. In the winter when you open a jar, the peaches will taste MUCH better than anything you've ever had from a store, and by selecting the right fruit, it will use less sugar than store-bought canned peaches. Peaches, pears, plums, cherries or nectarines can be packed in very light, light or medium sugar syrup. They can also be packed in water, apple juice or white grape juice.
Prepared this way, the jars have a shelf life of about 12 to 18 months, and
aside from storing in a cool, dark place, require no special attention.
If you'd rather freeze your fruit, see
my page on
how to freeze
peaches, plums, nectarines, figs and cherries. Even easier than canning
and they will taste just like fresh.. but it does take up space in the
freezer.
And here are some great and easy peach desert recipes!
Directions for Making Canned Peaches, Pears, Plums, Cherries or Nectarines
Ingredients and Equipment
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Recipe and Directions
Step 1 - Selecting the peaches, plums, cherries or nectarines
The most important step! You need peaches that are sweet, and to
make the work easier, cling-free (also called freestone). This means
that the peach separates easily from the pit!
Same with nectarines, and this doesn't apply to cherries or plums. Don't
miss the peach picking tips
page!
Choose ripe, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking. They should not be mushy, but they also should not be rock hard: just as ripe as you would eat them fresh.
After this step, I'll just refer to "peaches" but it applies to plums, pears, cherries and nectarines.
Step 2 - How many peaches and where to get them
You can pick your own, or buy them at the grocery store. But for large quantities, you'll find that real* farmer's markets, like the Farmer's Market in Forest Park, Georgia have them at the best prices.
It takes about 5 good sizes peaches or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to fill one quart jar.
* - not the cutesy, fake farmer's markets that are just warehouse grocery stores that call themselves farmer's markets.
Step 3 - Prepare the sugar (or other sweetener) solution
Peaches must be packed in a solution of water and sugar or fruit juice. It's up to you which to use. Sugar is added to improve flavor, help stabilize color, and retain the shape of the fruit. It is not added as a preservative. Sugar solution is much less expensive (unless you have a supply of cheap grape juice), so I usually use a light solution to keep sugar (and the added calories) to a minimum.
| Syrup | Sugar | Water | Yield |
| Light | 2 cups | 6 cups | 7 cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | 3 cups | 6 cups | 6 1/2 cups |
| Heavy | 4 cups | 6 cups | 7 cups |
To prepare syrup, while heating water, add sugar slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve. Bring to a gentle boil. Fill jars while syrup is still boiling hot. After preparing the liquid syrup, keep it hot (but not boiling).
Step 4 - Wash the jars and lids
This is a good time to get the jars ready! The dishwasher is fine for the jars - put the lids into a pan of
boiling water for at least several minutes. I just put the lids in a small
pot of almost boiling water for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter
wand" (available from WalMart, Target, and sometimes at grocery stores) to pull them out.
Step 5 -Wash the peaches!
I'm
sure you can figure out how to wash the peaches in plain cold or
lukewarm water
Step 6 - Peeling the Peaches
Nope, we're not going to peel them by hand; that's way too much work. Instead, here's a great trick that works with many fruits and vegetables with skins (like tomatoes): just dip the fruit in boiling water for 20 to 45 seconds.
then in cold water for 2 min.
Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and put into
a large bowl or pot of c
old water and ice.
The skins will easily slide off now!
Nectarines do not need to be peeled, if you don't mind the skins.
Step 7 - Cut up the peaches
Cut out any brown spots and mushy areas. Cut the peaches in half, or
quarters or slices, as you prefer! Remove pits!
Step 8 - Prevent the fruit from darkening!
Peaches will turn brown when exposed to air, even air in a sealed,
sterile jar. To keep the fruit from turning brown, when you get a bowlful,
sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh (which is just citric acid,
vitamin C, perfectly natural). Then stir the peaches to make sure
all the surfaces have been coated.
Step 9 - For a Hot Pack
Hot packing is recommended for all fruits because it is a bit safer
and makes fruit easier to pack in jars. Hot packed peaches are less
likely to float than peaches canned by the raw-pack method. Just put the
cut peaches into the boiling syrup solution for 5 minutes. (If you want
to use the "cold pack" or "raw pack" method, just skip this step!)
Step 10 - Fill the jars
Pack the peaches into sterilized jars (leaving 1/2 to 1 inch space at
the top) and cover with boiling sugar
syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space. (if you don't cook or heat the
peaches first, this is called "cold packing"). Run a rubber spatula or
table knife gently between peaches and jar to release trapped air bubbles.
To do this more effectively, tilt the jar
slightly while running the tool between the fruit and the edge of the jar
and also pressing inward against the fruit a few times.
After packing the peaches in the jar, pour the sugar solution up to 1/2 inch (1 cm) from the top. the fruit should be covered completely. If you have problems with fruit darkening (turning brown) later, then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of FruitFresh or ascorbic acid into the top of the jar before you seal it.
Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth. Add lid, screw band and tighten firmly and evenly. Do not over tighten.
Tips!
Canned fruits often will float if the sugar syrup is too heavy, if
jars are packed too loosely or if air remains in the tissues of the fruit
after processing. To avoid this use a light or medium sugar syrup, make
sure fruit is firm and ripe and pack fruit tightly in jars without
crushing.
If fruit is not covered by liquid it may darken during storage (but does
not necessarily mean it is spoiled, as all fruits will darken somewhat). To avoid this be sure fruit is covered
by remove air bubbles from jars liquid while still leaving the recommended
head space. Also be sure to remove trapped air bubbles as described
earlier.
Peaches, pears and apples may also show a blue, red or pink color change
after canning. This is the result of natural chemical changes that
sometimes occur as fruits are heated. It is harmless and won't affect
flavor!
Also, avoid storing canned food near heat sources such as a furnace, water heater,
hot water or sunny areas.
Jars need to be kept cool and dark for longer storage life and to protect against
spoilage. Be sure to store in a dry place. If the lid or band rusts, that
can
cause the seal to break.
Step 11 - Process the jars in the water bath
Put the sealed jars
in the canner and keep them cover with at least 1 inch of water and
boiling. In general, if you are at sea level, boil them for at least 20 minutes (and no more than 30 min).
Here are more specific guidelines from the USDA for canning peaches in a boiling-water, a dial, or a weighted-gauge canner:
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Table 1.
Recommended process time for
Peaches, halved or sliced |
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Process Time at Altitudes of
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| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0 - 1,000 ft | 1,001 - 3,000 ft | 3,001 - 6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft | |
| Hot |
Pints Quarts |
20 min 25 |
25 30 |
30 35 |
35 40 |
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| Raw |
Pints Quarts |
25 30 |
30 35 |
35 40 |
40 45 |
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Table 2. Process Times for
Peaches (Halved or Sliced)
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| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | ||||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time (Min) | 0 - 2,000 ft | 2,001 - 4,000 ft | 4,001 - 6,000 ft | 6,001 - 8,000 ft |
| Hot and Raw |
Pints or Quarts |
10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
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Table 3. Process Times for
Peaches (Halved or Sliced)
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| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of | ||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | Process Time (Min) | 0 - 1,000 ft | Above 1,000 ft |
| Hot and Raw |
Pints or Quarts |
10 | 5 | 10 |
Step 12 - Remove and cool
Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or
bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight), here they
won't be bumped. You can
then remove the rings if you like.
Other Equipment:
From left to right:
- Jar lifting tongs
helpful to pick up hot jars
- Lid lifter
- to remove lids from the pot
of hot water - Lid
- disposable - you may only
use them once - Ring
- holds the lids on the jar until after
the jars cool - then you don't need them - Canning jar funnel
- to fill the jars
Frequently asked questions!
- Is it safe to can unpeeled peaches? I've spent hours on websites and
read several books on canning - to no avail. This is the second year
I've canned unpeeled peaches in a 5 to 1 water to sugar syrup (we're
still alive). All my friends, their mothers and everything I've read
says to peel and I'm beginning to buckle under all the finger
wagging!!!
Answer: Buckle not! It is perfectly safe to can peaches with the skins on! Most people don't because some folks think it feels like they're swallowing a cat (short hair, not Persian) when they eat a peach with the fuzzy skin still on! :) But it is perfectly safe! (canning unskinned peaches, not cats, that is! :) ..I'm gonna get letters on this one, for sure...
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This page was updated on 10-May-2008
