If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh peaches, you may be wondering how to preserve them. Peaches are a delicate fruit and can go bad quickly if not properly stored. The good news is that there are several ways to preserve peaches so that you can enjoy them all year long.
One way to preserve peaches is by canning them in jars. Canning is a great way to keep the flavor and texture of the peaches intact while also extending their shelf life.
How to Can Peaches: Step by Step
- Select ripe, unblemished peaches for canning
- Wash the peaches and remove the pits
- Slice or dice the peaches, depending on your preference
- Make a sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water in a ratio of 3:1
- Add the peaches to the sugar syrup and let them cook for 3-5 minutes
- Remove the peaches from the syrup and place them in jars
- 7Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes to seal them correctly
How to Can Peaches Without Adding Sugar
Summertime is peak season for fresh, juicy peaches. If you want to enjoy them all year long, consider canning them! Peaches are easy to preserve and make a great addition to any pantry.
Plus, you can control the amount of sugar added to your canned peaches by canning them without any sugar at all. Here’s how:
Start with fresh, ripe peaches that have been washed and peeled.
Cut the peaches into small pieces and place them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the peaches and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil the peaches for 3-5 minutes, or until they are soft.
Carefully remove the peaches from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them in a colander to drain. Once they are cool enough to handle, pack the peach pieces into clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each jar.
In a small saucepan, heat up some water and add it along with freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon per pint jar) to each jar of packed peach slices.
Wipe off the rims of the jars before screwing on lids and rings finger-tight.
Place jars in a boiling water canner and make sure that they are covered by at least an inch of water. Process jars for 20 minutes (starting the timer when water comes back up to boiling after adding jars).
Remove jars from canner with tongs and set them on towels or wire racks to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours before storing away in a cool dark place..
Credit: www.sustainablecooks.com
How Long Do Peaches Last in a Mason Jar?
If you are lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh peaches, canning them is a great way to enjoy them long after the season is over. Peaches canned in a Mason jar will last for up to two years if stored properly.
To ensure your peaches last as long as possible, start with ripe but firm fruit.
If the peaches are too ripe, they will turn to mush when canned. Too hard and they won’t soften during the canning process.
Before canning, wash the peaches and remove any blemishes.
Cut them into quarters or slices, depending on how you want to use them later. Peaches can be canned in water, syrup or juice. For a light syrup, mix 3/4 cup sugar with 1 cup water.
For a heavier syrup, use 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. You can also just add enough water to cover the fruit.
Bring your chosen liquid to a boil while preparing your jars for canning according to manufacturer’s directions.
Add the peach slices or quarters to the hot jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace at the top of each jar. Ladle in the hot liquid, again leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Use a wooden spoon or other non-metallic utensil to release any air bubbles trapped in the fruit or around the edges of the jar.
Wipe rims clean and screw on lids tight (but not too tight!).
Process jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes (add an additional 5 minutes if altitude is over 1000 feet).
How Do You Preserve Fresh Peaches?
To preserve fresh peaches, you’ll need to start by selecting ripe fruit. Next, wash the peaches and remove the pits. You can then choose to slice or dice the peaches, depending on how you want to use them later.
After prepping the fruit, you’ll need to cook it in a sugar syrup before canning or freezing. The cooking process will help to stop browning and keep the fruit fresh-tasting. Once the peaches are cooked, they can be stored in jars or containers in the fridge or freezer.
What Liquid Can You Preserve Peaches In?
You can preserve peaches in a sugar syrup, honey, or alcohol. Sugar syrup is the most common liquid used to preserve fruit. To make a sugar syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly. Add your peaches to the syrup and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Honey is another option for preserving fruit. It has antimicrobial properties that help to keep fruit fresh for longer periods of time. To preserve peaches in honey, simply coat them in honey and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Alcohol can also be used to preserve fruit. The ethanol in alcohol acts as a natural preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria on food surfaces. To preserve peaches in alcohol, submerge them in vodka or another type of liquor and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
How Do You Preserve Peaches Without Sugar?
If you want to preserve peaches without sugar, there are a few different methods you can use. One option is to store them in a brine solution. To make the brine, mix together 1 cup of salt and 8 cups of water.
Place the peaches in the mixture and let them soak for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the peaches from the brine and rinse them off with fresh water. Store the peaches in a cool, dry place.
Another option for preserving peaches without sugar is to dehydrate them. Start by washing the peaches and then slicing them into thin pieces. Place the peach slices on a dehydrator tray and set the dehydrator to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dehydrate the peaches until they are leathery but still pliable. Store the dried peaches in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also preserve peaches by drying them in an oven set to its lowest setting possible (usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the sliced peach pieces on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and bake for about 6-8 hours or until dried out completely.
Conclusion
This blog post provides a step-by-step guide on how to preserve peaches in jars. The author begins by explaining how to choose the ripe peaches for preserving and then moves on to the instructions for preparing the fruit. Once the peaches are ready, they need to be placed in boiling water for three minutes before being removed and cooled in an ice bath.
The next step is to remove the skin from the peaches and then cut them into quarters or slices, depending on preference.
After cutting up the fruit, it needs to be placed in a sugar syrup made with four cups of water and two cups of sugar. The mixture should be brought to a boil and then simmered for five minutes before adding the peach slices.
Once everything is combined, the lid should be placed on the jar tightly and it can be stored in a cool, dark place until ready to eat.