Preserving Utah Peaches
Preserving Utah Peaches
- Cases of peaches sold in 20 pound boxes
- 4 cups of Granulated sugar stirred into 12 cups of water
- Seven Quart sized wide mouth canning jars per batch
Store peaches in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator until they have ripened. Check daily to see how they are progressing. It easiest to process the peaches once they have ripened. To start, place canning jars in the dishwasher. Keep the jars warm in the dishwasher until ready to use. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Also, begin boiling the water in the water bath canner. In a third pot, begin heating the 12 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar to be used for the syrup.* Keep the syrup at a gentle boil. Start sorting the peaches to find those that are ripened. It may be necessary to can over two days so all the peaches can ripen.
Once the pot of water is boiling the canning process can begin. Remove seven quart sized mason jars from the dishwasher. Place 5 or 6 peaches in the boiling water for about a minute or until the skin softens. Move the peaches to a bowl of cool water. Using a paring knife, cut the peaches in half and carefully remove the peel. If the peaches are ripe, the peel will slip off and the pits will be easy to remove.
Place the peach halves in the quart-sized jars with one inch from top. Next add the syrup mixture until the syrup is about 1/2 inch from the rim. Continue to peel and fill the jars. When the last jar is filled, place the self-sealing lids in a small pot and bring to a boil for one minute. Keep lids in the hot water until ready to use. Meanwhile, use a butter knife to go along the edges of each jar to remove air bubbles. Add more syrup if necessary so the jars are full 1/2 inch from the top.
Clean the rims and sides of the jars with a clean cloth and carefully center the sealing disk on the jars. Screw rings on tightly and carefully lower into the water bath. Make sure there is at least once inch of water above the jars. Bring the water bath back to a boil. Once the water in the water bath is boiling again, start the timer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow the jars to sit for about five minutes in the hot water then carefully remove each jar. Be careful not to squeeze the jar lifting tongs too tight or the jars may boil over. During the process it is important to keep everything warm. Putting jars with cooled syrup into the water bath could lead to the glass breaking.
Leave the jars on the counter overnight to allow them to cool. Afterwards inspect the jars to make sure they have sealed then remove the rings to clean the sides of the jars before long term storage. If you planning storing the jars with the rings loosen to prevent rusting. It is fine to store the jars with just the sealed lid and no ring. These peaches are delicious right out of the can, or can be used for recipes.
*For medium syrup mix one cup of sugar to two cups of water. For Light syrup mix one cup of sugar to three cups of water.
From three cases of peaches I was able to prepare 28 quarts of peeled peaches and 14 pints of peach syrup. Peaches are usually ripe at the end of August until mid September. Thanks Jeni Reid for the recipe and for helping me to get over my fear of canning. I never knew peeling and processing peaches could be so much fun!
