Canning Peaches: How to Can Peaches Yourself!

Canning peaches in hot water bath canner – Does anything beat picking a peach fresh off the tree and eating it right there? Home canning peaches enables you to have that fresh taste year around.

Peaches may be processed in a water bath canner.

This Page Includes:

• Canning Peaches: Extended, Step-By-Step Directions
• How to Peel Peaches for Canning
• Raw Pack vs. Hot Pack
• Pressure Canning Peaches
• Skip to Pinnable Recipe Card
• {FAQ} How Do I Know If My Unopened Jar of Canned Peaches Has Gone Bad?
• {FAQ} How Long After Opening a Jar of Canned Peaches Will They Keep in My Refrigerator?
• {FAQ} What Kind of Peaches Can Be Canned? What About Canning White Peaches?
• {FAQ} Liquid Loss While Canning Peaches
• {FAQ} Pressure Canning Peaches
• {FAQ} Why are my peaches floating?
• Members’ Extra

Canning Peaches: Extended, Step-By-Step Directions

Start by gathering your supplies. Prepare your jars and get the water in your canner heating so it will be ready when your jars are filled. (See water bath canning for full directions.)

Syrup for Canning Peaches

Prepare light or medium syrup if desired. (I prefer a light syrup for canning peaches – see ratio below.) Simply heat water and syrup in a pot until sugar dissolves. I like to do this right in a tea pot.

Canning Peaches with Sugar Syrup

• Light – 2 cups sugar to 1 quart water
• Medium – 3 cups sugar to 1 quart water

Canning Peaches with Honey Syrup

You can also make syrup with honey if you don’t want to use processed sugar. Honey is quickly becoming my favorite alternative to sugar. Our family is on a mission to cut lots and lots of white sugar out of our kitchen! – Light – 1 1/2 cups honey to 4 cups water – Medium – 2 cups honey to 4 cups water

Canning Peaches in Water….without Syrup? Yes, You Can.

Did you know…? You don’t even have to add any sugar if you don’t want to when you’re canning peaches. Canning peaches in water is a safe process. Sugar does help the fruit to maintain flavor, color, and texture, but it is not a preservative in this case. Some sugar, even just a light syrup, is highly recommended for quality, however. I’ve read that canning fruit in water can wash out the flavor of your fruit.

How to Peel Peaches for Canning

Peel peaches by blanching for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then slipping off the skins. Cut in halves or slices and add to your jar.

You’ll notice a “seam” down one side of your peach. If you slice around the diameter of the peach following this line, you will be able to pluck the pit right out.

Skins should slip right off in your hands. If your peach is a little green, it will be harder to skin, and you can just use a paring knife for the stubborn spots.

Packing your jars

To prevent browning of the fruit while you’re canning peaches, you will want to slice the peaches and cover quickly with syrup.

Another way to prevent browning is to treat with ascorbic or citric acid. This should be available in the canning sections at the grocery store or the hardware store. Follow the instructions on the package.

I usually just peel and slice the peaches and place them right into a jar. I like to can peaches in halves, but you may also cut them smaller if you wish. Pack peach halves cavity side down. They pack better, so you will fit more in a jar. If you have wide mouth jars, it makes it easier to place the peaches in the bottom of the jar cavity side down.

Working one jar at a time to prevent browning, pour your syrup over your peaches, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. So as soon as a jar is filled, add your syrup, wipe the rims of your jars off so you will not leave any sugary residue or bits of peaches to interfere with the sealing of the lid.

Place your canning lids and rings on. This simply means add the flat lid (it will fit with the rubber sealing compound over the rim of the jar) then add a screw band to hold the lid down during processing. The screw band does not need to be super tight. Finger tight is what is recommended. Tight enough to hold the lid on comfortably. Don’t crank down hard. It is not needed.

Then place the jar in your canner. Fill the next jar. Keep going until all your peaches are packed or canner is full.

Process in your waterbath canner according to the instructions below. Adjusting for altitude using the chart below.

If you need more details on the processing steps with a water bath check this page here. I go over step by step using a water bath canner.

Processing Details

Canning Peaches – Raw Pack: Process pints 25 minutes and quarts 30 minutes.

Canning Peaches – Hot Pack: Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes.

Raw Pack vs. Hot Pack

When canning peaches, you can either raw or hot pack. It is up to you. The difference is the number of peaches you can fit in the jar and possible space in the jar. (NCHFP mentions raw pack is a lower quality product, but raw pack is still my preference. Either option works)

IF you hot pack (i.e., heat the peaches before packing your jars), you will be able to fit more into the jar. If you raw pack, it is just a quicker way to get the food packed and preserved. Your choice!

• Raw Pack ~ I prefer to raw pack and fill one jar at a time as I peel, pit, and slice. I then immediately cover the peaches with hot syrup and place in hot water in canner to keep warm while I prepare the next jar. This prevents peaches from browning. Leave 1/2-inch headspace.
• Hot Pack ~ Slice peaches into a pot of syrup. When you have enough fruit prepared for your jars, bring to boil and turn off heat. Fill jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Wipe the rims clean, remove any air bubbles, and place your lids.

Next I give instructions for either pressure or water bath canning peaches. I highly recommend going with a water bath. Either is safe, it is simple personal preference.

Pressure Canning Peaches

I prefer waterbath canning peaches. But I have been asked on several occasions about pressure canning peaches. So I’ll give some instructions here. It IS possible but honestly I don’t recommend it. I think the waterbath or steam canning is sufficient.

For pressure canning peaches you will follow the same procedures as above for filling your jars and then process in a pressure canner for 10 minutes either pints or quarts; hot or raw pack. The pressure you’d use will depend on your altitude and is is as follows.

Dial Guage Pressure Canner

• 0 – 2,000 ft – 6lb
• 2,001 – 4,000 ft -7lb
• 4,001 – 6,000 ft – 8lb
• 6,001 – 8,000 ft – 9lb

Weighted Guage Pressure Canner

• 0-1,000 ft – 5 lb
• 1,001 and over 10 lbs

Waterbath canning is my preference for canning fruit.

Check the recipe card below for processing instructions for the waterbath.

Pinnable Recipe Card

Canning Peaches

Sharon Peterson

Canning Peaches  

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 2 -3 pounds of peaches per every quart jar

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• Peaches 
• Sugar for syrup   optional

Equipment

• Water bath canner  
• Canning jars, seals, and rings 
• Large pot or blancher
• Canning funnel, lid lifter, and jar lifter 
• Ladle and bubble tool 

Instructions

 

• Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.

  See full water bath canning instructions here.  

For a Raw Pack

• Make a light or medium syrup. 
• Blanch peaches for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
• Remove skins. 
• Slice peaches in half, removing pits. 
• Pack peach halves or slices into jar.  
• Cover with hot syrup, leaving 1/2” headspace. 
• Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place on your seal and ring. Place the jar in the canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the chart below.  

For a Hot Pack

• Make a light or medium syrup. 
• Blanch peaches for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
• Remove skins. 
• Cut peaches in half, removing pits. 
• Slice peaches into pot with syrup to cover. 
• Bring to a low boil. 
• Turn off heat and fill jar, leaving 1/2” headspace. 
• Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place on your seal and ring. Place the jar in the canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the chart below.  

Notes

Processing with a Water Bath Canner

Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the canner.

When all the jars are filled, bring the water in the canner to a boil.  When a boil is reached that is when you’ll start your timing.   Process for the length of time on the chart below.  Adjust for your altitude. 

 After your time is over, turn the heat off remove the lid and allow the canner to rest for about 5 minutes. Then bring your jars up out of the water.  Allow them to rest for another 5 minutes. Then remove the jars and place them a few inches apart on a thick towel to cool completely.  Leave them alone for about 12 hours.  

When they are cooled remove the metal bands, check the seals, label the jars and store them away! 

Processing Times for Water Bath Canner (Raw Pack)  

Altitude – Pints – Quarts  

0-1,000 ft – 25 minutes – 30 minutes  

1,001-3,000 ft – 30 minutes – 35 minutes 

3,001-6,000 ft – 35 minutes – 40 minutes 

Above 6,000 ft – 40 minutes – 45 minutes  

Processing Times for Water Bath Canner (Hot Pack) 

Altitude – Pints – Quarts  

0-1,000 ft – 20 minutes – 25 minutes 

1,001-3,000 ft – 25 minutes – 30 minutes 

3,001-6,000 ft – 30 minutes – 35 minutes 

Above 6,000 ft – 35 minutes – 40 minutes 

Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation

Last Updated: 4/1/2021

Keyword Canning Peaches, Home Canning, Waterbath Canning

Canning Peaches Tips & FAQs

How Do I Know If My Unopened Jar of Canned Peaches Has Gone Bad?

Like other canned goods, spoilage of canned peaches is very obvious: look for bulging tops, lost seals, and product that looks or smells bad or just “off.” When in doubt, however, don’t risk it.

How Long After Opening a Jar of Canned Peaches Will They Keep in My Refrigerator?

Treat them just as you would a can of peaches from the store, which usually keeps a few days to a week or so. Peaches with sugar will last longer than if you canned them with no sugar, as the sugar does help preservation. Watch for any mold or spoilage.

What Kind of Peaches Can Be Canned? What About Canning White Peaches?

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, do not can white-flesh peaches, because of their low acidity. Instead, can yellow-flesh peaches!

Liquid Loss While Canning Peaches

I was just canning peaches, and I noticed they were leaking a bit of juice. They popped and sealed, but the jars are sticky. I haven’t actually tested the lids, because they have only been out of the canner a couple of hours, but they are concave.

I looked on the USDA web site, and they say it’s fine to lose some liquid. A couple of my jars lost enough that the tops of a few peaches are not covered. Should I be concerned?

Thanks so much!

-Jenny

Hi Jenny,

Yes, sometimes the liquid will leak out when canning peaches, and you will have low levels of juice, and as you found out, that is okay. It should only be a mild loss though. If you’ve lost more than half the liquid, you should refrigerate the fruit.

I’ve read that the peaches above the liquid may brown, but I’ve never had that happen.

If you’ve lost liquid, you might want to just put those jars to the front of your cupboard so they get used up first. That is what I usually do. Remember, if the liquid is below halfway, refrigerate your jar and eat it up.

To lessen liquid loss next time, try leaving your jars to rest in your canner for 5 minutes or so after the water stops boiling. Then lift your jars out of the water and leave on the rack for another 5 minutes or so. This just slows down the cooling process in the jars and may help.

I hope this helps! I have more on liquid loss in home canning here.

Pressure Canning Peaches

I followed all the steps for canning peaches. I prepared and then proceeded to raw pack my peaches. I added hot syrup and placed in a pressure canner. I waited 10 minutes for the pressure to build once I saw a steady stream of steam. I then placed my 5lb pressure knob on the pressure canner, I waited for it to rock and then let it cook for 8 minutes under 5 lbs of pressure.

Did I do something wrong, or did I get to processes messed up? Is the food safe, or have I ruined 20 lbs of peaches?

-S. C. Johnson (North Carolina)

It probably has to do with using the pressure canner. I know that there are directions for canning peaches in a pressure canner, but I don’t recommend it. It is a personal preference. Peaches only need a water bath, and that is a much gentler process.

I can’t say for certain your peaches will be safe as I don’t know your altitude and that will impact the pressure canning process. If we go under the assumption that you used tested directions, they are probably fine…however, they are very well cooked! They may be mushy.

But all is not lost. If the peaches are mushy, just blend them up as you open the jars and use them to top ice cream or pancakes. Add them to smoothies or milkshakes. You may want to drain off some juice before you blend them. Or leave the juice and blend it and simply drink it! Even mushy peaches are good.

Do Peaches Need to Be Pressure Canned?

Peaches are a fruit, and thus they’re safe for water bath canning. You don’t have to worry about using a pressure canner. Just follow the water bath canning instructions on this page, and you’re set. Besides, peaches would get very mushy if pressure canned.

Why are my peaches floating?

Peaches do tend to float and there is not really a good way to eliminate it completely but here are a few tips.  

1- fill your jar with peaches first… then add your syrup. This way you have as many peaches in the jar as you can fit.  The syrup just fills in the spaces.  That is the way most people do but occasionally someone will be ladling peaches and syrup at the same time.  This results in more syrup and less peaches.

2 – Hot pack vs cold (or raw) pack.  Peaches naturally contain air in the flesh of the fruit.  If you do a hot pack you’ll lightly heat the peaches before jarring which breaks it down a bit and releases some of that air before it goes in the jar.  This results in more peaches in the jar and less air in the peach and less floating.  

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Source: The National Center for Home Food Preservation

Page last updated: 6/24/2021