Don't Let Summer Slip Away: How to Can Fresh Peaches

My uncle came back from Arkansas with one of the best gifts a gardener and home canner can receive, a case of fresh Arkansas peaches.

If you've ever bought peaches at the perfect moment, you know there's no time to waste. Their shelf life is short, so as soon as they arrived, it was time to get to work.

Of course, the first step was quality control.

Some peaches are good. Some peaches are spectacular.

These are spectacular.

They were a little on the small side, but they are the peachiest peaches I've tasted in a very long time. Every bite was packed with flavor. Because they were already so sweet and delicious, I didn't want to hide that behind spices or other flavors. Peaches this good deserved to stay peaches.

So I decided to can them as simple sliced peaches in a light syrup.

One of my favorite things about home canning is that anyone can do it. You don't need a pantry full of fancy equipment or years of experience. If you've ever wanted to preserve a taste of summer, all you really need are a few basic supplies, a tested recipe, and the willingness to give it a try.

So tonight, we're keeping it simple.

No complicated recipes. No specialty ingredients. Just beautiful peaches, a light syrup, and a chance to tuck a little bit of summer away for a cold winter day.

The easiest peeling method I've found is one I wish I'd learned years ago. Slice each peach in half, remove the pit, place the halves cut-side down (skin-side up) on a cookie sheet, and slide them under the broiler. After just a few minutes, the skins blister and begin to blacken slightly. Pull the pan out, put the next one in, and by the time the second batch is blistering, the first batch is cool enough to handle. The skins practically slide right off.

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Once peeled, I sliced the peaches into fairly uniform wedges and placed them in a large pot while I prepared the syrup.

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For the light syrup, I combined:

• 4 cups filtered water

• 2 cups sugar

• ½ cup lemon juice

  
  

Bring it just to a boil, then turn off the heat.

While the syrup was heating, I brought my water bath canner to a full rolling boil. Don't let the name intimidate you. If you're just getting started, a large stock pot deep enough to completely cover your jars with water works just fine. While the water came to a boil, I washed my jars so everything was ready to go.

When filling the jars, I used my freshly washed hands instead of a spoon so I wouldn't accidentally chop, cut, or bruise the peaches. After each handful, I'd gently shake and tap the jar on the counter to help the slices settle together tightly. That little trick lets you fit a surprising amount of fruit into each jar.

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By the time I finished, I had 11 pint jars packed full of peaches.

Because the fruit was packed so tightly, each jar only needed about ¼ to ⅓ cup of syrup to fill the remaining space.

Before sealing the jars, I ran a butter knife around the inside of each one to release any trapped air bubbles hiding between the peach slices. Then I wiped each rim with a clean microfiber cloth, placed the lids on, and tightened the bands just to fingertip tight. That's important because the air needs to escape during processing. Overtightening the bands can actually prevent the air from escaping and prevent a proper seal.

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The jars went into the boiling water bath, making sure they were completely covered with water. Since these were raw-packed peaches, they processed for 30 minutes once the water returned to a full rolling boil.

When the timer went off, I carefully lifted the jars out and placed them on the counter to cool where they will remain undisturbed for at least 12 hours.

Then comes my favorite part. You simply wait.

Every few minutes...ping. Another jar seals. Ping.

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It's one of the most satisfying sounds in a home canner's kitchen because every little pop means you've captured a taste of summer that you'll get to enjoy months from now, right in the middle of winter.

If you've been thinking about learning to preserve your own harvest, let this be your encouragement. You don't have to start with bushels of produce or an elaborate setup. Start with a few jars, learn the basics, and before you know it, you'll be filling your pantry with little tastes of summer, one season at a time.