Canning Peaches & Spiced Peaches

New to canning peaches? Learn to make two deliciously sweet canned peach recipes. One is canning peaches in a light syrup and a the other is canning them in a warm spiced sweet brine perfect for the soon to be crisp days.

Last weekend we drove south to can 80 pounds of peaches with Bryan's mum for our wedding. We wanted to tie our proposal story into our favours and canned peaches were the perfect fit. After Bryan had proposed we had a can of peaches his mum had given us for Christmas, so we muddled them into mimosas on the very spot he proposed. Bryan is also allergic to raw fruit (except berries) so canned peaches are his favourite, and I thought it would be a sweet nod to him growing up in the Okanagan which is famous for its peach orchards.

After canning all of our peaches, we realized that nearly all the peaches are designated as favours so we bought another 20 pounds to can for ourselves. Bryan's mum had given me some great tips as I had only canned other fruits and veggies before. But canning peaches is surprisingly very easy as a beginner. You only need some jars, peaches and a little sugar. If you are new to canning, peaches are a wonderful first step!

I made a some printable labels too if you want to add them to your cans to give as a sweet little gift. Just

click and download the free printable here, and print them onto label paper and cut them to size with a straight edge paper cutter.

There are many different types of peaches but they all fall into two (perhaps three) categories: freestone, clingstone & semi-clingstone (semi-freestone). Freestone are the best for baking as the pits are easily removed from the flesh, where as the name suggests- clingstone stubbornly cling to the flesh. Clinsgtone are typically smaller but sweeter, so they make wonderful canning peaches. I used semi-clingstone peaches and they pealed away perfectly as you can see in the video so ensuring they are ripe but still firm will help you peel away skins as well. Semi-clingstone, or semi-freestone, are the best of both- they are small and sweet but their pits are easily removed. Talk to your local farmer or orcharder if you have any questions on buying peaches and they will lead you in the right direction.

I N G R E D I E N T S

10 pounds of peaches

2 cups sugar (more or less if you wish)

10 cups water

M A T E R I A L S

Sterile jars with rings and new lids

Large saucepan with basket for canning

A good jar lifter

Saucepan for boiling lids

Saucepan for syrup

Bowl for peaches

Paring knife

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Sterilize jars in dishwasher and then wet them & put into oven set to 160°C for at least 10 minutes before you start

2. Sterilize lids by bringing them to a boil in a small saucepan

3. Make Syrup: bring water & sugar to a boil in a medium/ large saucepan

4. Start peeling your peaches & put into large bowl. I worked one/two jars at a time so the peaches were not exposed to too much air but you could put them into a large bowl of water with ascorbic acid if wanting to work in large batches.

5. Pour a little bit of syrup into jar first and top with peaches

6. Pour more syrup into jar ensuring there are no air bubbles and leaving 1/2 inch head clearance

7. Wipe mouth clean and place clean lid on top and hand tighten a ring

8. Bring large canner to a soft boil

9. Once you have all of the jars that will fit in your canner ready, place them into the boiling water and lower the basket for 15-20 minutes

10. Remove from basket and leave to cool somewhere. You will know it is canned if the little dent has been suctioned down

These will keep upwards of a year stored in a cool dark place or once opened they will last two weeks in the fridge (but who lets them go that long once opened!) The spiced peach recipe is below!

W A T C H A L O N G H E R E

I N G R E D I E N T S

5 pounds of peaches

4 cups sugar

2/3 cups of water

1 1/2 cups 5% Apple Cider Vinegar

2 teaspoons cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1. Sterilize jars & lids as you have done above

2. Bring large canner to a soft boil

3. Mix water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, cloves and cinnamon sticks together & boil for 5 minutes covered

4. Cut peaches into quarters & add to brine mixture & boil for 5 more minutes

5. Add a small amount of liquid to the jars, and top with peaches & more brine

6. Clean the rim of the mouth and add sterile lid and hand tighten with a ring

7. Add to canner as above with a gentle boil and boil for 15-20 minutes.

Add a sweet downloadable label and gift these at Thanksgiving, or add them to a savoury meal or paired with a vanilla bean ice cream

I absolutely love when you send me messages on Instagram saying you tried one of my recipes or tag me in your creations! (Seriously makes my week) so if you you try canning these peaches, or try the spiced peaches or even just print the labels for your own jars, I would love to see! Happy canning!