Go Back
–+ servings
featured image of pretty canned peaches in jars with some fresh peaches

Simple Water Bath Canning Peaches for Beginners

Porchontheprairie
There’s nothing quite like opening a jar of home-canned peaches in the middle of winter and tasting pure summer sunshine. In this easy guide Simple Water Bath Canning Peaches for Beginners, I’ll walk you through the entire process—from preparing the fruit to packing your jars—so you can confidently fill your pantry with beautiful, shelf-stable peaches you’ll enjoy all year long.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours 15 minutes
Course Dessert, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 7 quarts
Calories 180 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 18 lbs Peaches
  • Water
  • Lemon Juice optional

Instructions
 

Step 1: Sterilizing the Mason Jars and Lids

  • There are multiple ways to do this:
    1. Dishwasher Method - Some dishwashers have a sanitize function on the dishwasher which works well for preparing the mason jars. The downfall, however, is this can be a time consuming method.
    2. Oven Method - Wash the jars with soap, rinse, but do not dry. Place upside down on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius). Carefully remove the hot jars for canning.
    3. Oven Method - Wash the jars with soap, rinse, but do not dry. Place upside down on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius). Carefully remove the hot jars for canning.
    4. Boiling Method - Wash the jars with soap and rinse. Place jars in a large pot of boiling water (like the water bath canner) and let them sanitize for 20 minutes. Remove jars and let air dry before use.
  • For the new lids - place in a small sauce pan of hot water until it is time to add them to the jars.

Step 2: Preparing the Peaches

  • First, fill a large nonreactive pot half full of water and bring to a boil. Fill another large pot with cold ice water. Wash the peaches. Cut a small "x" in the bottom of each peach.
  • Once the water is boiling, add the peaches to the pot. Boil the peaches for 60-90 seconds and then carefully transfer them to the cold water. (The peaches are ready to transfer when the skins start to peal back. Firm peaches will need a longer time in the pot and softer peaches will need less time.)
  • Peel the skins off the peaches and remove the pit. Half or quarter the peaches. To avoid browning or discoloring, place peaches in a large bowl or pot and toss with some lemon juice. The color does look appealing again once canned (less browning), even without tossing in lemon juice.

Step 3: Packing the Peaches

  • There are two options for packing the peaches - raw pack or hot pack. I prefer the raw pack method.
  • Raw Pack Method - To raw pack peaches, simply place the prepared peaches into the sanitized jars, leaving about 1 inch of headspace (space above the peaches to the top of the jar). Using a funnel and ladle, pour hot water over the peaches, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace. Using a special bubble remover tool or a butter knife, poke into the jars to remove all air bubbles.
  • Hot Pack Method - Bring 10 cups of water or syrup to a boil. Place the prepared peaches in the boiling water or syrup for about 5 minutes. Transfer the peaches to prepared sanitized jars using a funnel and slotted spoon. Hot packing the peaches tightly into the jars, leave about 1 inch head space. Using a ladle pour the hot syrup/ cooking liquid over the peaches in the prepared jars, leaving about 1/2 inch head space.
  • Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth or papertowel. Using the magnet lid lifter tool, grab the jar lid from the small sauce pan, and carefully place it on the tops of the jars. Screw the rings onto the lids to ensure the lids stay in place.

Step 4: Water Bath Canning the Peaches

  • Add hot water to a little over ½ of the water bath canner and bring to a boil.
  • Place the jars on the inner wire rack of the water bath canner and lower it into the boiling water. Add the lid to the canner. Process Raw Pack Method for 25 minutes (pints) and 30 minutes (quarts) in boiling water. Process Hot Pack Method for 20 minutes (pints) and 25 minutes (quarts) in boiling water. **See notes on elevation from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
  • After the processing time is up, turn off the heat and carefully remove the canner lid. Grab the metal insert by the handles (with oven mitts) and raise the jars up, carefully hooking the handles onto the edge of the water bath canner. Let the jars sit for 5 minutes.
  • Lay out a hand towel or a doubled up flour sack towel on a counter surface. This will act as a barrier between the hot jars and cool counter, preventing the counter and keeping the jars from bursting with the drastic temperature change. Using the jar lifter tool, carefully remove the jars from the wire insert and place them on the towel. Allow jars to sit and cool, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours.
  • Test jars for airtight seals. The metal lids will not “pop” when pushed down on and will not pop off when pulled up on.

Notes

**Note on elevation and times from the National Center for Home Food Canning in text above

Nutrition

Serving: 1quartCalories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 3gPotassium: 570mgFiber: 6gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 1470IUVitamin C: 18mg
Keyword Simple Water Bath Canning Peaches for Beginners
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!