Oh, peaches! I’m actually not a huge fan, although Eric and the girls seem mighty into these little guys. I mean, I’ll eat them … but this is also plum season, and if it’s between a peach and a plum, I am going to pick a plum every single time.
But hey, I don’t mind canning peaches. And it’s kind of fun to open up a jar in, say, January, and remember that summer will come again.
If you’ve never canned peaches before, I have one tip: Make sure you get “cling free.” That means the pit doesn’t stick to the flesh. This will save you a LOT of hassle. And I am a girl who enjoys the path of least resistance. Hey, I got a box of Red Havens because that’s what my favorite farm stand grows, but there are many varieties to choose from.
Peach Day was July 29, and I actually remembered to take photos and everything! Here’s how it all went down — I think photos are the easiest way to explain this whole ordeal. Canning isn’t hard, it just takes some time.
Secure your box of peaches. Try not to faint when the family volunteers to prepare them for you. (Uh, that was unexpected.) Be sure to put them in water with a splash of lemon juice to keep those beauties from browning. Not necessary, but bonus points for choosing the hottest day since May for this particular project. I mean, you’re house is totally not hot enough as it is.
Make a simple syrup and bring to a boil. I like a light syrup, which is approximately 5 cups of water and 1.5 to 2 cups sugar.
Prepare your lids: Add boiling water and let soak until you’re ready to use.
Pack your peaches into clean, sterilized jars. I use my dishwasher for that part, but apparently you can also boil them.
Sort of overpack the jars because peaches always seem to shrink in the canner and this time you’re going to outsmart them! Add simple syrup to cover.
Be sure to run a non-metalic utensil inside the jars to get out the air bubbles. Swear a little because you can never get rid of them all.
Load into the canner; bring water to a boil, then set the timer for 30 minutes for quarts, 25 for pints.
Done! Unload the canner and yell “Thank you!” Every. Single. Time. you hear a ping. This is the most important step because it shows you’re grateful. Meanwhile, clean your kitchen and try not to be cranky about the sugar syrup all over the counters and floors. And here you thought you were so careful …
Take that, Laura Ingalls Wilder! 😉 One more item under my “pantry filled with canned awesome” goal list, too, by the way, which makes me so jacked.
P.S. The peach box went back to the farm stand. Farmers have to pay for the boxes they pack their fruit in, so whenever they get them back to reuse, they’re super excited. You can’t reuse canning lids to can again, but I do save them — they’re perfectly fine for capping jars that go into my freezer. The only thing here that was NOT zero waste was the lemon juice I used in the initial step to keep the peaches from browning while they were being prepared; I use a name brand concentrate because that’s what works the best and I do not mess around with this kind of thing. It can be recycled later, but it’s still plastic.
Again, I highly recommend getting a canning book or visiting your city’s extension office for proper canning instructions. Food safety, you guys, I’m not even joking, that’s a big deal.
Next up: Update time.