Home Canned Spiced Peaches (My Grandma's Recipe) - Mirlandra's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why did my home canned peaches turn brown? ›

The browning process kicks because when you cut a peach, a group of enzymes called polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are activated. These enzymes create highly reactive brown pigments called quinones that are vulnerable to oxidation that causes your bright and beautiful peach to turn brown.

Spices and Herbs

Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and nutmeg give warmth and gentle spice to peaches, while herbs like basil, tarragon, thyme and rosemary add earthy notes to peach desserts.

A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16 to 24 quarts – an average of 2½ pounds per quart. Choose ripe, mature, yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking.

There are two ways you can can peaches: the hot pack or the raw pack method. When you are hot packing peaches, you are cooking the peeled & pitted peaches in the syrup before canning them. This will release some of the air the peaches have which will prevent them from floating and browning over time.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, canned contents are safe to eat as long as the can is in “good shape.” The Canned Food Alliance agrees, citing 100-year-old canned food that was recovered from sunken ships and tested microbiologically safe.

Store: Allow the jars to cool completely before storing them in a cool, dry place for 12-18 months (at best quality–they are often safe eating even longer after that). If your peaches start to develop a foul odor, become discolored, or if you see signs of mold, these are signs of spoilage and you should discard them.

Yellow peaches are acidic enough on their own that you don't need to add more acidity with lemon juice or citric acid to safely can them. However, you'll want to use either lemon juice or Ball® Fruit Fresh to treat the peaches before canning to prevent browning.

2 to 2½ pounds of fresh peaches yields 1 quart canned. 1 pound of fresh peaches typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced peaches or 2 cups or puree. It takes about 5 good sizes peaches to fill one quart jar of canned peaches.

Canning Peaches in Light Syrup

A light sugar syrup is really the best for canning peaches.

Clingstone Peaches

Their delicious flavor and delicate texture make them ideal for baking, canning and preserving in jellies or jams.

Why can't white peaches be canned? ›

CAUTION: Do not can white-flesh peaches.

There is evidence that some varieties of white- flesh peaches are higher in pH (i.e., lower in acid) than traditional yellow varieties. The natural pH of some white peaches can exceed 4.6, making them a low-acid food for canning purposes.

Take the jar that did not seal during processing, remove the lid, and increase the headspace to 1 ½ inches. This will allow for food and/or liquid expansion when freezing. The canning lid may be reused when freezing. Foods in single unsealed jars can be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days.

Can linings might discolor or corrode when metal reacts with high-acid foods such as tomatoes or pineapple. As long as the can is in good shape, the contents should be safe to eat, although the taste, texture and nutritional value of the food can diminish over time. Home canned foods should be used within 1 year.

Lemon juice has a pH of 2, which means it's an acidic solution. As a result, it's ideal for stopping the chemical reaction that causes fruit to turn brown.

Lemon juice will keep our peaches from oxidating (turning brown) while adding some brightness to the peach preserves.

“For example, if the stored jars of food are exposed to light, that can cause the food to change color and could cause spoilage.” Blakeslee added that if food inside the jar is above the liquid at the top of jar, that food can discolor during storage but still be safe to eat.