Canning Peaches from the Orchard

What’s my perfect idea of a Saturday night? Peeling a ½ bushel of fresh peaches and canning several quarts so we’ll have them ready for winter sounds pretty perfect to me.

We love growing as much as we can here on the farm, but our two tiny peach trees are still really young. It’s going to be quite a while before they’re ready to provide enough fruit for canning. My dad is a huge fan of peach cobbler and we love a fresh can of sliced peaches all winter long, so a big box of fresh-picked peaches in the back of the car meant my Saturday night plans were set.

Our favorite store-bought canned peaches come from Rural King but they’re way too expensive to buy regularly and most of the ones we find at the local grocery store just don’t compare. They have extra additives to keep them “fresh” and sweeteners that change the flavor. Or they just taste “off.” Maybe it’s because we know the taste of real, fresh peaches, and once you’ve had the home-canned peaches, it’s hard to settle for anything else.

So I brought home my half-bushel from the orchard and got to work. The challenge was for me to see if I could create beautiful jars of peaches that would look as good as they taste.

Materials Needed:

• Fresh Peaches
• Fruit Fresh (to keep the peaches from turning brown while you are preparing)
• Fruit Peeler
• Jars and lids
• Water Bath Canner
• Lids and Rings

Some people love to boil peaches so the skins slip right off. I tried it. My result? Soggy, gooey slices that looked more like a failed science experiment than fruit. So I switched to my simple potato peeler and a small knife. Slower, yes, but the results were much better. (And of course, I don’t like to throw away good food just because it doesn’t look good. So I’m going to work on peach jelly next!)

Directions

• Wash the peaches well.
• Cut the peels off with a small knife.
• Place the peeled peaches in a bowl of cold water with Fruit-Fresh or lemon juice to help keep them from browning.
• Once you have a large bowl full, cut the peaches away from the pits. I don’t worry about getting every bit of peach off the pit—it’s hard and time-consuming.
• While you’re cutting the peaches, start simmering a light syrup. I use 10 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar. When divided among 14 or so jars, it really isn’t much sugar per jar.
• Cut the peaches into small slices.
• Pack the peach slices tightly into clean quart jars. Don’t be afraid to push them down. Since I use most of mine for cobbler, I don’t care if a few pieces get a little smushed.
• Pour the simmering syrup over the peaches, leaving the appropriate ½-inch head space.
• Wipe the jar rims clean.
• Add the lids and screw the rings on finger-tight.
• Process quart jars in a boiling-water canner for 30 minutes (increase processing time at higher elevations).
• Remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed on the counter for 12–24 hours.
• Check that each jar has sealed.
• Rinse off any sticky peach juice that may have siphoned out during processing.
• Remove the rings for storage if desired.

By the end of the night, I had several quart jars of sliced peaches cooling on the counter. They will be so tasty this winter – maybe to eat straight from the jar, or maybe to make a quick peach cobbler.

My easy version:

• Melt a stick of butter in a baking dish
• Stir together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and ¾ cup milk
• Pour over the butter, then add a jar of peaches.
• Bake at 350 until golden and top with vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling fancy.

The best part about canning peaches? They don’t require a pressure canner. Just peel them, add a light sugar syrup, and water-bath them for the recommended time.

Tip from my experience: Pack the raw peaches in as tight as you can in the jars. Otherwise, you’ll get the floating look like I have here. They will taste amazing still but I could have gotten more peaches in the jars. Next time, I’ll pack them in tighter!

What about you? Can you taste the difference in homegrown peaches? Do you have your own canning peach tips or family traditions? I’d love to hear!

Remember the soggy, mushy peaches I mentioned earlier? They turned into gorgeous peach jelly when I was done canning the peaches!