How to Can Peaches

Learn how to make the most of your summer fruits by preserving fresh peaches for long-term storage. Once you learn how to can peaches, you'll love getting to enjoy summer peaches all year long.  

Preserving foods has been around for centuries, and many families can remember their parents or grandparents in the kitchen canning things at home. As time goes on, science has helped to make the process safer and more foolproof.

I only believe in safe canning practices for the sake of my family. This recipe follows guidelines from trusted sources like Ball® and the National Center for Home Food Preservation, because safety is non-negotiable in my kitchen. Tested recipes protect our families from foodborne illness.

Below, you will find simple step-by-step How to Can Peaches instructions to help walk you through canning peaches so you can safely enjoy the best summer flavors all year long.

You can even use your home-canned peaches in recipes like Strawberry Peach Cobbler, Peaches and Cream Bundt Cake, and Sourdough Peach Coffee Cake.

🛒 Ingredients

Fresh Peaches: As you read along with how to can peaches, you'll find that at a bare minimum, you will need a few pounds of peaches. A single quart sized mason jar will hold about 2-3 pounds of peaches once peeled and sliced. (7 quart sized jars will hold about 17lbs).

Lemon Juice: Having your peaches sit in lemon juice water before beginning the canning process will help to preserve their vibrant colors so that they don't brown.

Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for the syrup mixture, but you can choose between a low sugar syrup and a high sugar syrup (both are covered in detail below).

Ice Water: You will need some ice water as well.

See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.

🥣 Recipe Add-Ins

• Whole cinnamon sticks (1 per jar) - adds warm spice flavor
• Whole cloves (2-3 per jar) - aromatic and subtle spice
• Lemon juice (bottled, added as acidity booster) - brightens flavor and ensures safety
• Vanilla bean pods or vanilla extract (small amounts) - adds sweet, fragrant notes (use sparingly)
• Ginger slices (thin slices) - gentle zing that pairs well with peaches

❌ Avoid adding fresh herbs, thick spices, or anything that can affect acidity or texture unpredictably, unless tested by a trusted source.

🍑 Sugar Syrup Choices

You can select any of the three syrups for your peach preservation liquid. Use more or less sugar depending on your preference. I prefer to use light syrup so my peaches aren't too sweet and I can have more wiggle-room with future recipes.

Syrup Type	Approx. Sugar Content	Water	Sugar
Light	~20%	9 cups	2¼ cups
Medium	~30%	8¼ cups	3¾ cups
Heavy	~40%	5¼ cups	4¼ cups

📍 Water Bath Canning: Elevation Adjustments

Use this chart to adjust boiling water bath processing times based on your elevation. Don't know your elevation? A quick Google search can help.

Elevation	Increase Processing Time By
0-1,000 ft	Used in this recipe's listed time
1,001-3,000 ft	Add 5 minutes
3,001-6,000 ft	Add 10 minutes
6,001-8,000 ft	Add 15 minutes
8,001-10,000 ft	Add 20 minutes

🥄 Instructions for How to Can Peaches

Step 1: Wash your jars, lids, and metal rings in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside the lids and rings, but put your jars in a large pot of water and bring them to a boil or simmer while you prep the peaches. Your pot must be large enough to cover the tops of the jars by 1-2 inches of water.

If your jars are clean, an alternative is to place them in the dishwasher (without soap) and run a hot water cycle to keep them warm.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prep the peaches. Wash them all well under cool running water to remove any dirt. Then slice an X mark with a sharp knife on the bottom of each peach. This mark shouldn't be too deep. (Image 1). Note: This is a different pot from the one mentioned above.

Step 3: Dip the peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds in the boiling pot of water from step 2 (Image 2), and then scoop them up with a slotted spoon.

Step 4: Immediately place the boiled peach into a large bowl filled with ice water. (Image 3).

Step 5: Peel the skin off the peaches using your fingers, gently rubbing the now loose skin off the boiled peach. (Image 4). It should peel off pretty easily. Repeat the boiling, chilling, and peeling until several peaches (or all of them) are done.

Note: Don't toss those peach skins and pits! Save them in a separate container to make Peach Peel Jelly. A safe canning recipe that lets you use every part of the fruit. It's a delicious way to stretch your peaches and get the most value out of your batch.

Step 6: Place a cutting board in front of you and put the peeled peach down. (Image 5). Slice in half and remove the pit. (Image 6). Then slice each half into 4 or so even slices. (Image 7). Place all slices into a large mixing bowl filled with 4 cups of water+1 Tablespoon of bottled lemon juice (not fresh squeezed). (Image 8).

Step 7: Bring another large pot to a boil, filled with the sugar and water for syrup. Low sugar= 9 cups water + 2 ¼ cups sugar, or medium sugar= 8 ¼ cups water + 3 ¾ cups sugar, or heavy sugar= 5 ¼ cups water + 4 ¼ cups sugar. Keep this syrup hot.

Note: If you've finished boiling/peeling all of the peaches, you can wash out that large pot and use it for this.

Step 8: Drain your peaches from the lemon water (Image 9), and then place them into the boiling syrup. (Image 10). Return to a gentle boil and set the timer for 5 minutes while stirring every so often.

Step 9: Use a slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the pot and place them into your warm, prepped glass jars. (Image 11). You can add as many as you can fit, but keep in mind that you should stop adding peaches by the time they reach the neck of the jar to ensure that they can be covered by the liquid later. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Step 10: Use a ladle to scoop the hot syrup into each jar. You want there to be ½ inch of headspace left, measuring from the top of the glass jar downward. (Image 12).

Step 11: Remove the air bubbles from inside the jars. This can be done by placing a silicone spatula or the headspace measuring tool into the sides of the jar, gently moving it around can allow air bubbles to lift up to the top. You'll notice the headspace getting bigger as more bubbles come up. Add more syrup to make up the difference and bring you back to exactly ½ inch.

Step 12: Wipe the rims of the jars clean. (Image 13). Even if they don't look messy, there can be hidden sticky syrup or mess, and any mess around the rim can prevent the jars from sealing properly.

Tip: I've found that a wet paper towel works better than a wet dishrag because it can fit better into the nooks and crannies along the side of the rim.

Step 13: Place the metal lids on the top of the jars, and then place the metal rings around the lids. You need to be careful with tightening them, too loose and they won't work right, and too tight, and they won't seal. (Image 14). A good rule of thumb is finger-tight. Turn the lids just enough to feel secured, but do not do any additional turning.

Tip: Using your non-dominant hand can help to keep you from overtightening the rings.

Step 14: Hopefully, by now, your large canning pot has come to a boil. Carefully place your jars into the pot and make sure that 1-2 inches of water sits above the lids. (Image 15).

Step 15: Once the water has returned to a rolling boil, start timing. Set the timer for 25 minutes. After the processing time is up. Turn off the heat and set the timer again for 5 minutes.

Step 16: After the timer is up, carefully remove the jars from the water and place them onto a towel. (Image 16). Let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

Step 17: Remove the rings and check the centers of the jars. The centers of the lids should be concave and not click when pressed. This means there was a good seal.

Step 18: Wipe the jars clean and then label and date the top metal lid with the contents. You won't be able to reuse the metal lids (it's unsafe to do so), so use a permanent marker. Keep stored in a cool, dark place (50-70°F).

🫙 Reprocessing

• After following along with how to can peaches, if jars do not seal after the first processing, remove the contents from the jars and reheat them to a boil before repacking.
• Use fresh, sterilized jars and new lids for reprocessing.
• Process again using the full recommended processing time.
• Do not reuse old lids, and make sure jars are clean and hot before refilling.

🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas

Canned peaches are wonderfully versatile! Serve them chilled in Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats (instead of strawberries) or layer them into a Strawberry Blueberry Parfait for a simple breakfast or snack.

They make a sweet side for pancakes, waffles, or Sourdough Bread Pudding, and pair beautifully with grilled chicken or pork chops for a fresh, fruity contrast.

Once you learn how to can peaches, you'll find you can even use them in desserts like cobblers, crisps, or as a topping for Instant Pot Yogurt.

❓ FAQs about How to Can Peaches

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