Freezing and Canning Peaches for Winter
By Laura on Sep 1, 2008 in Eat More Fruits and Veggies, Homemaking
I mentioned that over the weekend I received millions and millions (okay, maybe not millions) of peaches from a lady in town. I’ve been busy preserving them for winter and thought I’d walk through the steps with you.
Please note: These peaches were so awesome and juicy, and since there were so many of them, I felt that none of us needed to hold back on how many we ate. So, as I was standing in my kitchen peeling and slicing peaches, and peach juice was running down my arms…I was also biting into peaches as I worked, because I just couldn’t resist. Therefore, I also had peach juice running down my chin. But with peach juice all over my hands and running down my arms, it’s not like I could do much about my chin, you know? Not one of my finer moments.
Thought you might like to picture that.
If you remember, I was given four boxes of peaches. (I did share a few with some friends.)
In the past, I’ve always peeled my peaches with a knife…and that’s been fine. But I had so many peaches this time, I went ahead and tried this method of peeling, and whoa was it a time saver! Just put your peaches into boiling water for about 30 seconds…pull them out…
And those skins just peel right off!! It was awesome. Except for when they didn’t peel right off, which happened with a few of them for some reason. (Just thought I’d tell you that so that if not all of them peel right off for you, you’ll know that you aren’t the only one!)
(You don’t have to peel your peaches if you’re going to freeze them. They’ll be more nutritious if you leave the peelings on, and it will save so much time too!)
To freeze peaches, just peel, slice and lay the peach slices on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the pan into the freezer until the peaches are frozen, about two hours. (Or longer if you forget they’re in there.) Then put them into a freezer bag and you’ve got great peaches for smoothies and slushies!! And cobblers and crisps! (If you feel like skipping this step and simply just putting your peach slices directly into a pan without freezing them individually like this first, you can…but you’ll end up with one big gallon sized frozen peach-sicle, and you may be very frustrated when you want only part of the rock hard peach-sicle for a smoothie. Just so ya know.)
Now…to can peaches…this is what I do. There are other ways to do it…this is just the way I do it! Please be sure to go back and read Canning 101 for the canning basics!
I make a honey/water solution on my stove…which is 2 T. honey to every 5 cups of water. Heat it on the stove and let it sit warm while you prepare your peaches.
Take out a hot jar and put in about 1/16 teaspoon of ascorbic acid to keep your peaches pretty. Just dump it into the bottom of the jar. (Some people use lemon juice)
Ascorbic acid is powdered vitamin C. I get mine at a health food store.
Fill the jar with sliced peaches. Then, use a funnel to pour your honey/water into the jar, to about a half inch from the top. Place a sterilized lid and ring onto the full jar.
Now it’s time to give your full jars a hot water bath to seal the lids. Put your full jars into the water. Once the water is boiling, boil the jars for about 25 minutes. (And yes, this is actually a picture of applesauce jars boiling…I forgot to take a picture of the peaches boiling and I’m too tired to go can more peaches just so that I can go take a picture of the jars boiling.)
Oh, and boil your jars with the lid on the water bath pot…I just took off the lid for the picture. 
After the jars have boiled for 25 minutes, take them out with tongs…or better yet, this cool gripping tool made especially for jars and hot water baths. Then you get to listen for the caps to seal. I can’t think of a way to blog the way it sounds…but after all your hard work, it sure is a cool sound to hear them seal! (Thhhhp!) (Or something like that!) You can be sure they sealed if you can push down on the top and it is down firm. It takes anywhere from 1 second to 30 minutes for the lid to seal after you’ve taken it out of the water.
Then, just leave your canned peaches out on the counter for a few hours or several days so that you can admire them and smile and feel happy every time you walk into the kitchen and see them. (Okay, that’s what I like to do anyway.) (Because I’m weird like that.)
In a couple of days, I’ll show you how to make and can applesauce!
———————————————————-
Read other kitchen tips at Tammy’s Recipes.
looks yummy! i just started canning this summer (only done pickles and jam so far).
[Reply]
tiffanie | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
That’s how I peel my peaches, too!
(Except, I pop them into a bowl of cold water after taking them out of the hot water.) That’s how I peel tomatoes, too.
Blessings,
Michele
[Reply]
Michele @ Frugal Granola | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
Just a note- When I put up peaches, I peel them, then I take the peach skin and simmer to get the juice out. I then take the juice and make jelly. The jelly is delicious and I feel like I haven’t wasted the skins! One of my ways of trying to be frugal (frugal sounds so much better than cheap- haha) and not waste anything.
[Reply]
Michelle | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
My mom recently tried the following technique on peaches, and she says it really works. (I haven’t tried it myself yet):
Let whole, unblemished peaches ripen – dead ripe. (Do not wash first)
2. Arrange whole peaches on a cookie sheet and place in freezer.
3. After peaches have frozen solid; place them in a plastic bag.
4. When you are ready to use, removed the desired number of peaches from the bag, run cold water over frozen peach and slip off the skin.
5. Microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
6. Slice peaches to use as you desire for cereal toppings, pies or cobbler, ice cream, or simply slice them, add a little sugar if needed and enjoy.
(She got this idea on some online forum, I think.)
[Reply]
Joelle | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
Beautiful job Laura!I love Michelle’s idea with the skins. I’ve done that with apple peels and used the cores for juice/cider.
They look so good! Wish they were sitting on my counter for a few days, ‘cept U might not see then anymore thereafter
Thanks 4 sharing – you made it look so easy!
[Reply]
Donna | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
I kind of do what Joelle’s mom suggests, although I got the idea from my dad, and he wraps them in plastic wrap individually and puts them in a ziploc bag – no need to flash freeze that way, and no peach-cicles. :>) In addition to the things she mentions, I have also run them through the food processor for baby food, so the little one doesn’t miss out.
[Reply]
Lenetta | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
My friend just went to a produce auction and bought for boxes of peaches for $13. Her kitchen looked very similar to yours! Great idea to freeze some slices, and much cheaper than buying frozen peaches from the store!
Toni
[Reply]
The Happy Housewife | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
I canned peaches last year but hadn’t thought about freezing them. Maybe next time I will!
BTW, I left an award for you on my blog: http://www.victoriahillfarm/blogspot.com
[Reply]
Barb J. | Sep 2, 2008 | Reply
Yum! I would love to can some peaches…I would love to have someone give me four boxes of peaches…what a blessing. I have frozen them the way you showed so we can use them in smoothies. I wonder if you can do that and then use them for pies?
[Reply]
Kirstin | Sep 2, 2008 | Reply
Thanks! I’ve never done peaches (except for jam and butter)…I’d like to try it this year!
[Reply]
Julie | Sep 2, 2008 | Reply
Those look absolutely scrumptious!!
[Reply]
Sherry | Sep 2, 2008 | Reply
Great job Laura! I skipped peeling my peaches for freezing and canning and they turned out just fine. I found you can just slice up the peaches and layer them in one layer in ziploc bags without having to use the parchment paper and cookie sheets. They break apart very easily. Kept it real easy for me!
[Reply]
lindsay edmonds | Sep 2, 2008 | Reply
Loving the 101 sorts of posts!
I have a question for you. I decided on a whim to pick some peaches today. More than my family can eat in a couple days. Unfortunately, I dropped the box on my way to the car and quite a few of them have tears and open flesh. So I started in on the freezing process as soon as I got home (the few minutes of returning phone messages already had them swarming with fruit flies). They aren’t soft yet, being so fresh from the tree. The skins didn’t want to come off of most of the peaches, it was really a struggle, and I remember doing the boiling water thing with my mother-in-law in the past; I’m pretty sure I’m doing it right, especially after reading your post. And when I sliced them to freeze them, they were still very hard in the middle of many of the peaches.
Should I just wait a day or two for them to soften before I continue? Will frozen peaches be any good if they’re only partially ripened when I froze them? And is there anyway I can keep the dratted fruit flies away???
[Reply]
Becky | Sep 11, 2008 | Reply
I’m really wondering about using honey when I can my peaches this year. The ratio and if the peaches will turn brown concern me.
If anyone has used honey and can help I would really appreciate it.
[Reply]
Claudia | Sep 13, 2008 | Reply
In response to keeping the fruit flies away…I always put a few peelings from the peaches into a paper cup, cover it with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. Poke a few little holes into the plastic wrap (I use a toothpick) large enough for the flies to get in and the fruit flies will be attracted to the cup, and they go inside, but can’t get out! When you’re done doing peaches just throw the cup away!
[Reply]
Melanie | Sep 16, 2008 | Reply
have you done anything with persimmons?
[Reply]
nancy | Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
I have a question about your stove… it looks like a flat-top? I did some canning as a youngster, but recently I got together with a couple of friends to can some apple butter and apple wedges. The friend who hosted us has been canning for years, and she told me that I can’t can on my flat-top stove because of the pot that you use to process everything (i.e. the big pot for the water bath)… something about it being concave or extending more than 1 inch beyond the “eye” on the stove. But obviously you can, so maybe this hasn’t been a problem for you?
(i was looking at regular electric stoves yesterday, but it seems silly to replace my current one for that purpose, lol.)
[Reply]
Elizabeth | Oct 19, 2008 | Reply