Freezing and Canning Peaches for Winter
ByI 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.)
looks yummy! i just started canning this summer (only done pickles and jam so far). :)
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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
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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.
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Laura Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Wow, this really works? I LOVE that idea. I’m trying to can peaches tomorrow for the first time and I just might try your jelly idea!
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Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama Reply:
July 29th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
I did that last year…yes, it works. :)
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April Reply:
August 9th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Can you send me instructions for making the jelly? I love the idea on not wasting anything. Do you put water in with the peelings or just the peelings?
Jen Reply:
August 27th, 2011 at 8:15 am
Have you ever saved up the peach skins, if you didn’t have enough of them for another recipe? I failed to save the skins from the 8 quarts I canned last weekend, and I found a fantastic recipe for peach honey that takes 6 cups of peach skins (that’s a lot of peaches). I’m wondering if they’ll freeze okay for use once I have enough of them.
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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.)
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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!
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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.
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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
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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
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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?
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Thanks! I’ve never done peaches (except for jam and butter)…I’d like to try it this year!
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Those look absolutely scrumptious!! :D
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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!
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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???
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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.
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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!
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have you done anything with persimmons?
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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.)
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Thank you for the information. I am new at canning peaches, and my question is can you peel & slice the peaches (adding Fruit Fresh) a couple days before you can? I was thinking of slicing them & putting them in the refrigerator.
Thank you
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I dont have very good luck freezing peaches-discolor and soft,any ideas?
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Hello and i love the way you explain the canning process. I have canned in the years past but was looking to be certain i hadn’t forgotten anything. Again you are so down to earth in you explanation anyone could learn to cann. Thank you so much. faith
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Hello again. Some mistakes in the typing above, suppose i did not proof read duh!!!! I also like the notion of you not having an actual canner pan of which does run about $25.00 and up. Thanks for the idea of using honey also of which i would never have thought of. thanks again
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Thank you for sharing about this. I don’t have any canning equipment (minus a big soup pot) but I look forward to freezing things like peaches and strawberries. My pot might be big enough to try a little bit of canning.
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Just an idea that’s pretty quick: Place your bits and pieces, or any peaches that doesn’t meet you visual goals, into a carton (milk, cream, etc.) and push down but keep the juice in the carton. Fold over the top and tape or secure with whatever method you prefer. Freeze and when someone is ready for a treat, tear the carton down as far as you need and chop/slice off while frozen. Add cream or other items to make a quick peach ice treat. Any unused portion in the carton can be ziplocked and placed right back in the freezer.
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Thanks for the great instructions. I’m going to try this tomorrow!
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Do you put any thing on the sliced peaches to keep them from discoloring while freezing or does the freezing preserve their color? My neighbor has a peach orchard and is selling me the culls for little $$. I want to freeze some, can some, and use some for jams, jellies, and preserves. This is an daily activity right now. Every evening I pick up the ones that they did not place in their baskets. Hopefully we will have lots of good peaches to enjoy in the winter.
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Laura Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
No, when I freeze them I have found that they retain their color nicely!
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Have you ever canned peaches (or other fruit) in a fruit juice solution instead of honey/water?? I have white grape juice. I also have the citric acid (or ascorbic? Don’t remember which). I just picked up 2 pecks of peaches today that need canned and I do NOT want to use sugar. Would like to can in juice ideally. Diluted juice + honey? Ideas? Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
I think it would be fine in juice…I just usually don’t have juice onhand. You probably wouldn’t even need honey if you use the juice…although of course the honey would make them that much sweeter and YUM!
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I have a recipe that uses just unsweetened apple juice and the peaches. You do have to treat the peaches to prevent darkening. ..another recipe was for pears in white grape juice….it was just unsweetened white grape juice and nothing else was added. I hope that helps.
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I’ve canned peaches w/o any sugar or honey. Just place one pit in your jar, fill with peaches and fill with water. Water bath as normal. The pit keeps the peaches from discoloring. The peaches are not as sweet, but my kids still loved them.
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i had’t preserved anything for more than 25 years and was surprised the other day with more than 75lbs. of yummy peaches. so old supplies were searched for and found and i used the honey water to can and loved it. Yahoo, no refined sugar and you just really taste the sweetness of the fruit. about half of the jars contain peaches that i peeled and the other half i didn’t peel. all look wonderful and the one jar that my husband stole away came back with him singing my name and empty. so thank you for reminding me of my old passion. i now have shelves of golden beauty!
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I’m glad I found this website. I just decided to can/freeze peaches now that I can buy them by the carton. I have never done the bath before, so I am wondering, does the water have to cover the lids? If I don’t get a response by the time I begin, I will search for the info at another source. But reading all of the ideas was great. My daughter has been raising honey bees for the last couple of years, and she will be delighted that I will use her honey.
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Laura Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Yes, it’s best for the water to cover the lids. Here’s a little more I wrote about canning in a water bath: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/canning-101
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Just received a bunch of peaches from Palisade. Used your boiling water, peal and freeze method and it was great! Thanks so much for extending our peach season into the fall and winter. Your devoted fan Judy.
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How much honey in how much water do you use?
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Laura Reply:
September 11th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
2 T. honey to every 5 cups of water
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I’d like to know what you do with canned peaches? Do you have any
recipes?
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Marcia Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Faythe, You can do anything with the canned peaches that you do with fresh. Pies, cobbler, cereal, sundaes or right out of the jar!
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Laura Reply:
September 11th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
We eat them as is…or we add them to cottage cheese!
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@ Faythe. One of my favorite recipes for peaches is the following. Get out your large Crockpot. Use two entire quarts of canned peaches only 1/4 cup of the juice* *I cut mine into bite sizes) save the juice for a fruit dip mixed with sour cream or whatever you desire. Dump in one yellow moist cake mix. (I always get ones with butter and pudding in the mix) Add 1/2 cube of butter diced. stir together gently….On the top, add 2 envelopes of instant oatmeal (I always use maple brown sugar) add a few dices of butter….THEN…place a paper towel over the top, do not stir once the oatmeal is on top—This will absorb the steam, and make it crunchy. Turn on the Crockpot, cook on med or high. I have done it both ways. Takes a few hours. Also I add chopped walnuts to mine….I have made this a ton of times. YUMMY stuff !!!!
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Laura, just a quick question about lids sealing after the jars have been removed from the hot water bath. Is it normal for some jars, usually the larger jars that I am using, to take up to sometimes 1 to 2 hours later to seal? Should I be concerned about that? Or is it okay, as long as the lids have sealed?
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Laura Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Sometimes that happens…no need for concern.
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I pack all my peaches firmly in the jar and put the juice over them, but still as the months go by, the top couple turn brown. I have soaked them in fruit fresh before they went in the jar and the jars are sealed. Why?
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Laura Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Hmm, that’s weird. Does the fruit stay completely covered by the liquid?
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Paula Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
to begin with they are but usually one might float up to the top and turn brown. I try and pack as tight as I can with out crushing them.
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Someone told me you could use a tablet of vitamin c in every jar. Is this true?
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Laura Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Yes, that would probably be fine!
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When doing the water bath does the water need to cover the top of the jar or is it o.k. to boil just below at the place where the ring and jar are closed? I’d like to try canning this year.
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Laura Reply:
January 16th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
It’s best for the water to cover the top of the jar.
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Nothing to do with peaches, but do you ever can chicken or beef?
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Laura Reply:
January 16th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
I haven’t done meat as it requires a pressure cooker instead of just a water bath. I’d like to learn to use a pressure cooker, but I haven’t yet taken the plunge.
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candace Reply:
August 11th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
i have canned chicken and sausage.it takes time but it taste good and is quick for dinner if you forget to take it out the freezer.just place raw chicken in the jar pour bbq sauce or water or broth over the chicken.put in pressure cooker for 1hr 45 mins.
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Blair Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 10:04 am
does that cook the chicken inside the jar?
alisha Reply:
August 16th, 2011 at 12:16 am
I have canned beef, chicken, and deer. It works great. It does take almost 2 hours but well worth the time. I don’t use bbq sauce, just the normal spices. I add the bbq sauce when I open the jar to eat.
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Oh those are BEAUTIFUL! I am searching for a way to use less sugar and this could be it…have you ever used juice to can your fruit?
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If you can pears, you can blanch and peel them just like you did your peaches. It is a HUGE timesaver. Happy Canning!
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Many years ago (I mean MANY) my mom did not have a canning pot so she used her big soup pot but put a dish towel on the bottom. She thought this would take the place of the rack (which she didn’t have) that keeps the jars off the bottom. She canned for many years using this method. Thanks for all your tips. I’m going to get back to the more economical way than store-bought.
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Maybe my peaches are too ripe but they are not as pretty as yours are lol! They did not slice well, very mushy so I canned what I could and will make fruit leather with the rest I guess. Maybe I picked them too ripe?
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Has anyone tried the recipe posted by Lizzy? I was wondering how long it took to make? If you freeze peaches with the skin on, does the skin have the same texture later when you use them?
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I want to share a delicious fast recipe for peach cobbler using Jiffy buttermilk biscuit mix!Put sweetened peaches in a casserole or oven proof dish.In another bowl put the jiffy mix,one egg,enough milk to make a creamy mixture,and beat slightly,add sweetener of your choice if desired,pour over the peaches and pop into a 400 degree oven for 15 or 20 minutes.Really yummy!
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What is processing time for 4 oz jars? I see everything about pint and quart jars, but I want to can diced peaches in 4 oz jars. I’ve gone all organic and have a peach tree and am trying to mimic a cup of diced peaches as you would buy in the store. I only want them in 4 oz jars as that’s the amount I use at one time.
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Laura Reply:
August 13th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Yummy, this sounds so good! I’d say they probably need the same amount of water bath time as the larger jar, but that’s just a guess. I may steal your idea!
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Debbie Reply:
August 13th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Well, I called my local office/help for canning, etc. We settled on 15 minutes – to do same as the pint/half pint jars. Out of 24, one didn’t seal, so I stuck it in fridge and ate it the next day as a “test” to see if I wanted to do it again, as I knew the next week would be a ton more peaches… Wow, I was amazing and awed that God got me to this… No more Dole or ANY diced peaches will I buy again!! Before my mom passed, she got me used to dumping a small, plastic container of Dole/Publix (whatever brand) diced peaches on my oatmeal as a way to flavor instead of sugar, etc. So, I cried a little last weekend as I made more of the 4oz jars of diced peaches – looking to Heaven and telling her how I wish she could see/taste these…
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Do you know the amount of lemon juice to use if you don’t use the asorbic acid/vitamin C? Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
August 6th, 2011 at 7:21 am
Probably just about 1/4 teaspoon per jar would work!
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I’m so grateful I found this site. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I was driving down a country road and suddenly my car was loaded with the most beautiful peaches. (That’s what I told my hubby). I want to freeze them without peeling (I LIKE THE TEXTURE OF THE SKINS IN MY SMOOTHIES), or using sugar. I’ve done the cookie sheet method for other fruits and wanted to be sure I could do it for peaches. Thanks for the info!
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Yay! I just got a box of about 22 lbs of peaches for a great deal and am so excited about putting osme of them up :)
Thanks for the tips!!
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Hey just wondering I don’t can very often. My mother sent me out some peaches to Hawaii and I want to freeze them using a wet pack. I want to use honey but I don’t know the ration on what it would be. Can someone help me with this.
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