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My mom makes the most amazing fruit preserves. We enjoy her garden fruit all year long this way. This peach preserves recipe takes a couple days; a longer process than most of the peach preserve recipes I’ve seen online but its worth the wait. It’s not watery like most of the recipes that rush the process.
This isn’t speed dating. You’ll get to know your peaches over a couple days and and be rewarded with some mighty fine preserves. If you are thinking about Christmas already (as I am), you can make preserves now, slap a label on in December and give them away as gifts to neighbors, co-workers, nursing directors (wink, wink) – I guess this means I can’t eat all of them myself.
Ingredients for Peach Preserves:
11 lbs peaches, rinsed
4 cups white sugar
Juice of 1 medium lemon
What you will need:
- 5-6 pint-sized jars with lids. I purchased them at Walmart.
- Large Stock Pot (20Qt+) with Rack (or purchase a canner)
- Jar lifter to safely transfer the jars
How to Make Peach Preserves / Peach Jam:
To blanch the peaches:
1. Fill 2/3 of a large soup pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add peaches for 30 -45 seconds, then remove with slotted spoon or this OXO strainer which I used to transfer them in and out of the boiling water and drain the pot. Remove peaches immediately to a large bowl of cold water. This process is known as blanching the peaches and makes removal of the fuzzy skins really easy.
2. Peel the skin (most of them peeled easily by hand, but there were a stubborn few that required a knife), cut the peaches into quarters and remove pits.
Cooking the Preserves:
1. Place all peeled peaches in a large soup pot and squeeze in juice of 1 lemon. Drizzle well with 2 cups sugar, toss and drizzle again with the remaining 1.5-2 cups so the sugar reaches all the peaches. Here’s where you need to use your judgement.
If your peaches are very sweet, you may only need 3 1/2 cups of sugar total. You can add more sugar to taste while its cooking, so don’t panic at this step. You’ll do great!
2. Let peaches sit at room temp with the sugar for about 30min -1 hour, or until sugar is dissolved.
3. Place the pot over the stove uncovered and bring to a light boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Make sure if you see a light boil to stir because the whole pot may not be boiling, just the center. If it stops boiling after you stir it, continue boiling.
Once the whole pot is at a light boil, simmer for 10 minutes and turn off the heat. Let the pot stand uncovered until it is just warm to the touch or reaches room temp.
4. As soon as it cools, repeat step 3. You will bring it to a light boil a total of 5 times. This is why it takes 2 days to make. It’s really easy though. Definitely not rocket science to bring a pot to a boil and give it a few stirs :D.
You can go to work and come home then return it to a boil; there’s no “set” time that you need to be reboiling it. If 2 days doesn’t work for you, by all means, take 3 days. Preserves have plenty of sugar so they won’t spoil at room temp if you leave it on the counter overnight. If you want the preserves to have an even thicker consistency, you can boil it 6 times if you wish.
(Note: the fifth time you boil, bring it to a boil over a little lower heat and stir a few extra times to prevent scorching. Also, it thickens more as it cools.)
5. The last time you bring it to a boil you will want to transfer it to sterilized jars while it’s boiling hot.
To sterilize the jars:
- To sterilize your clean jars: wash them and let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.
2. Transfer your boiling hot preserves to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/2″ space.
3. Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.
4. Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot with jar lifter and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid – it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate preserves and enjoy within 3 months.
Tada!! You’ll make it and think “hey that wasn’t so bad.” Well, that’s what I thought the first time I made them.
Current Canning Guidelines:
Recipe updated in 2019 to reflect new canning standards. Previously we used the oven method. You can get up to date on the most recent canning guidelines here. It’s a great resource to answer frequently asked canning questions.
Country Peach Preserves
Ingredients
Peach Preserves Ingredients:
- 11 lbs peaches, rinsed
- 4 cups white sugar
- Juice of 1 medium lemon
What you will need:
- 5-6 pint-sized jars with lids.
Instructions
To blanch the peaches:
- Fill 2/3 of a large soup pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add peaches for 30 -45 seconds, then remove with slotted spoon and drain the pot. Remove peaches immediately to a large bowl of cold water.
- Peel the skin, cut the peaches into quarters and remove pits.
Cooking the Preserves:
- Place all peeled peaches in a large soup pot and squeeze in juice of 1 lemon. Drizzle well with 2 cups sugar, toss and drizzle again with the remaining 1.5-2 cups so the sugar reaches all the peaches. If peaches are very sweet, you may only need 3 1/2 cups of sugar total. Add more sugar to taste while its cooking.
- Let peaches sit at room temp with the sugar for about 30 min -1 hour, or until sugar is dissolved.
- Place the pot over the stove uncovered and bring to a light boil, stirring to prevent scorching. Once the whole pot is at a light boil, simmer for 10 minutes and turn off the heat. Let the pot stand uncovered until it is just warm to the touch or reaches room temp.
- As soon as it cools, repeat step 3. You will bring it to a light boil a total of 5 times. Preserves have plenty of sugar so they won't spoil at room temp if you leave it on the counter overnight. If you want the preserves to have an even thicker consistency, you can boil it 6 times if you wish. (Note: the fifth time you boil, bring it to a boil over a little lower heat and stir a few extra times to prevent scorching. Also, it thickens more as it cools.)
- The last time you bring it to a boil you will want to transfer it to sterilized jars while it's boiling hot.
To sterilize the jars: wash them and let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.
- Transfer your boiling hot preserves to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/2″ space.
- Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don't over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.
- Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot with jar lifter and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid - it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate preserves and enjoy within 3 months.
Signs of Spoiled Canned Food:
With any type of canning, we follow this advice: “When in doubt, throw it out”
Discard and do not eat or taste any canned food if you notice any of the following:
- the jar is leaking, bulging, or swollen
- the jar looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal
- the jar spurts foam or liquid upon opening
- the canned food is discolored, moldy, mushy, slimy, or smells bad
Thank you for this recipe! I made it last summer, sort of. I didn’t measure anything. It turned out beautiful and the peach flavor was incredible!
It is now closing in on Christmas and I was wondering if you could use this heat and cool process with other fruits? Not stone fruits. Like strawberries and cranberries?
In the past I have not had the greatest relationship with pectin.
Hi Kristin, I haven’t tried this method with strawberries but I think it would work. You may not have to cook it down repeatedly – that is done with this recipe so it doesn’t turn dark which isn’t the concern with strawberry. Cook the strawberry until a small amount of liquid turns to gel on a plate after it cools.
If the seal takes, how long is it good for? Does it still need to be refrigerated?
Hi Meghan, If the seal does not form, refrigerate preserves and enjoy within 3 months or we’ve kept this in the freezer for up to 6 months . If it takes. It will keep for at least a year if it is sealed correctly and stored in a cool, dry (low light place).
Just canned up a batch of your peach jam. The recipe was easy to follow and the jam is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re so welcome, Jessie. Happy to hear that you loved it!
Hi! Excited to try this! In your experience, about how long does it take once you remove from the heat until it cools enough to move onto the next boil? Trying to figure out how time when I should be home to do each boil. Thanks!
Hi Brittany, it usually takes around 6 hours if I remember correctly. It depends on the temperature of the room and how wide your pot is. I think it could be done after 4-5 hours to speed things up a bit.
I have never made peach jam so I’m wondering how to determine how many peaches are in 11 pounds?
Hi Christina, the best way is to weigh them.
Hi,
I missed the sale on the peaches, so I bought 11 lbs of nectarines when they went on sale.
I made the preserves using the exact same recipe ( did not peel). Turned out very good! Tast, with good consistency and color.
I got exactly 15 6oz jars.
Thanks for this simple and straightforward recipe .
Hi Nita! That’s great to know. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Instead of canning, could I freeze this, like the strawberry freezer jam?
Hi Cathy! Yes, we’ve kept this in the freezer for up to 6 months or longer in a deep freezer.
Hi,
I love your recipes!
I have been working on my first batch. I used white sugar, lemon & I carefully cooked them down 4 days, never burning. My peach perserves are very dark in color—looking almost the color of applesauce—What did I do wrong?????
Anyone, Please help as I want to do more but want them looking lighter like peaches.
Hi Liz, did you make any substitutions or do anything differently? It could be the type of peaches used. The addition of lemon juice helps to preserve its bright color. The method that we use for the multiple boils versus an extended boil is supposed to help keep its color as well. I’m sure it will still taste great. Also, if you used a different sugar that could cause it to be darker.
I’ve used this recipe for the last 4 years. It’s an amazing. I can’t time the canning process quite right this year. Do you think the finished preserves will keep ok in the fridge for a day before I can put them up or will they brown?
Hi Katy, you can keep them in the refrigerator although they won’t have quite as long of a shelf life. If the cans didn’t get sealed properly, you can also freeze for up to 6 months or longer in a deep freezer.
Hi
Can I use nectarines instead of peaches in this recipe? I am planning to make it this week.
Thanks.
Hi Nita, I have not tried this with nectarines to advise.
Oh, I enjoyed making these preserves soooooooo much! I dreaded peaking the peaches, but the blanching method was a real breeze. I originally planned to process the peaches six times to be sure they were nice and thick, but went with the five times as the original instructions say. They thickened up so nicely! I added 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and a tablespoon of orange juice. By far the best peach preserves I’ve ever had!
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for your great comments and review, Angie. We’re happy to hear that you had a great experience making our Country Peach Preserves.
Could you substitute apricots for the peaches and would you suggest the same 11 pounds of fruit?
Hi April! I have not tested this with apricots to advise. You may enjoy the Apricot Raspberry Preserve recipe that I have on my blog.
Do you have an estimated time that it takes to cool the peaches between boiling?
Hi Shirley! I’m sorry, I don’t have that exact time and this time can fluctuate depending on the temperature in the kitchen as well.
I made this and I think it is too sweet. I wonder if it is because I may not have had enough peaches, though I am sure I started out with enough. It may be helpful to add the amount of prepared peaches you should have. Like 16 cups of prepared fruit. Mine was also quite dark. Maybe my sugar? I used organic and it is not pure white.
Hi Suzanne, it’s hard to say without being that, but not having enough peaches will definitely cause it to be more sweet. It’s also likely your peaches were very sweet as well. Any substitutions will alter the outcome.
I was not a fan of using so much sugar myself, so when I prepared them (using #2 peaches which are very sweet anyway), I stirred in the original 2 cups of sugar and that was sweet enough. I also only had 9.5 pounds of peaches to use, but I simply washed and left the skins on, pitted and sliced. They were delicious fresh from pot and again absolutely peachy after a couple of weeks. The color was darker than my peach jam with pectin, but not at all unlovely.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha, thgis has nothing to do with the peach preserves. I want to let you know your son did a wonderful job on his Christmas song. Good job!
Aww, thank you, Linda! We’re so proud of him! I’ll pass this moment on to him! Merry Christmas!
Your recipe is wonderful and easy to follow. I made it twice. First, just as suggested, the second time, I added habanero peppers that I halved, seeded, and added during the cooking step. I did remove the peppers after the cooking step as I was hoping to impart just enough heat for flavor but not for the peach flavor to be overwhelmed. It was a delicious sweet heat hit. I’ve found my go-to gift for those holiday hostess gifts one never knows what to bring. P.S. it was FANTASTIC over a brick of cream cheese served with crackers.
Thank you for sharing, we appreciate it!
This my first try at preserving/ canning peaches. The recipe was easy to follow and turned out great!
I’m so glad it was easy to follow Dorina! Thank you for sharing your great review with me!
I am in the process of doing this; I have gone according to directions and the color has turned more amber . . . not too worried, but wish it had retained the bright orange! I am going to take my stick blender and break down a bit – I don’t like the large chunks!
Hi Carolyn, did you make any substitutions or do anything differently? It could be the type of peaches used. The addition of lemon juice helps to preserve its bright color. The method that we use for the multiple boils versus an extended boil is supposed to help keep its color as well. I’m sure it will still taste great. Also, if you used a different sugar that could cause it to be darker.