Easy Peasy Peaches Canning Recipe Perfect For Beginners

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It’s hard to believe that my whole foray into canning only started a month ago. I took a food preservation class at my local community centre and after years of wanting to start canning I was hooked. I think I really just needed someone to tell me how easy it was and that I wasn’t going to kill anyone if I did it wrong. In one month I have canned over 60 jars of food. Peaches (20 pounds), Spicy Pickled Carrots (6 pounds), Bread and Butter Pickles (10 pounds), Dill Pickles (15 pounds), Pickled Beets (10 pounds), Field Tomatoes (20 pounds) and Roma Tomatoes (40 pounds).

I think that The Hubs thinks I’m a little bit crazy. Last week he sighed a BIG sigh of relief when I loaned my canning equipment to my friend Karen. I told him that I’m done canning for about a month and then I’m going to can some of my Crockpot Applesauce.

Canning is a great way to preserve flavors from the summer. I buy all of my summer produce at a local family farmer’s stand. When I buy in bulk I save. If you don’t see signs around your farmer’s stand about buying in bulk, make sure you ask.

Canned peaches were the first canning recipe that I tackled when I came home from my food preservation class. The day after the class I bought a 20 pound box of peaches and got to it. Peach season is going to be coming to an end in the next couple of weeks, so grab this last chance for the year and can yourself some peaches! Trust me, if I can do it… you can too.

If you are new to canning please visit my Canning 101- Tips and Tricks To Get You Started Canning Today post for all the info you need to go from thinking that canning is scary to simple.

Easy Peasy Peaches Canning Recipe Perfect For Beginners

Ingredients:

Peaches

Fruit Juice (optional) OR Sugar and Vanilla (also optional)

Materials:

Canning pot

Saucepan for blanching peaches (optional)

Mason jars with lids and rings

Canning rack or canning rings tied together and set inside pot (see Canning 101)

Small saucepan for hot water bath for canning lids

Jar lifter and magnetic lid lifter (optional)

Directions for liquid:

I’m going to give you 3 options for liquid for canning peaches:

Use plain old water, a perfectly fine option especially if your peaches are nice, sweet and ripe.

Use fruit juice. I made a few jars with juice boxes left over from Bean’s birthday from the brand Honest Company.

Make a simple syrup. I made a very light simple syrup for some of my peaches that had 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to 5 cups of water. You can increase your sugar if you want a thicker, sweeter syrup.

Directions for peaches:

Wash your peaches well

Peel the skin from your peaches (you can do this either by blanching them in hot water for 60 seconds and then putting them in an ice water bath after which the skins will peel of easily, or if your peaches are nice and ripe the skin can be peeled off easily without being blanched).

Quarter your peaches and pack them in your mason jars

Fill your mason jars with liquid leaving 1/2 inch between the liquid and the top of the jar. Move peaches with a spoon to make sure all air bubbles have escaped.

In a small saucepan heat water (do not bring to a boil) and drop your canning lids in to heat.

Wipe the rim of the jar with a towel dipped in hot water, put on a lid that has been soaking in hot water then screw on a ring until it is fingertip tight.

When you have enough jars prepared to fill your canning pot, carefully lower your jars into the boiling water. Wait for the water to return to boiling then set your timer for 15 minutes.

When 15 minutes is up, carefully remove your hot jars from the pot and set them on top of a dishtowel or hot pads on your counter. Wait for every canners favorite sound… the pop, pop, pop of the jars sealing!

24 hours later check to make sure all of your jars have sealed. You will know that they are sealed because the center “button” of the can won’t pop up and down when you press on it or turn your jar upside down. If any jars haven’t sealed they are still fine to eat, just store them in the fridge and consume first.