There is nothing quite like the taste of homemade peach preserves. Now that the school year has started up again (or about to start in some areas), summer is just about officially over. That doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your favorite summer fruits all year round, however. If you still have delicious summer peaches you haven't eaten yet, now is the perfect time to try out some awesome peach recipes or to try water bath canning so you can enjoy them all year round!
One of my favorite ways to store fresh peaches for the winter is to make them into preserves and can them, and this Peach Preserves recipe is one of my favorite peach recipes. It is pretty simple to make, and you end up with delicious Peach Preserves all winter long. These Peach Preserves are perect on top of Peach French Toast Bake or as a topping for oatmeal or toast. The peaches keep their sweet juicy flavor all year round, and you get yummy Peach Preserves that don't have any weird additives or suspicious ingredients.
If you are really ready to think ahead, these will also make fantastic birthday or Christmas gifts. Store them in a pretty jar, tie a decorative ribbon around it and include some of your favorite peach recipes. Your friends and family will love these sweet and thoughtful treats, and you'll love how quick, easy and affordable your Christmas shopping was this year--if you can bear to share, that is!
Making them is easy - just scroll down for the directions!
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs peaches
- 2 TBS Lemon Juice
- 7 Cups Sugar
- 6 TBS Ball Classic Pectin
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine optional
Equipment Needed
- 10 half pint jars lids, and rings
- Water bath canner
Instructions
- Inspect jars for cracks, chips, or scratches. Wash jars, lids, and rings with warm, soapy water. Place jars and lids in saucepan filled with simmering water and retain heat until ready to use.
- Peel, pit, and finely chop peaches. To peel, submerge in boiling water for 60-90 seconds and dunk in a sink full of cold water. Slip the skins off with your fingers.
- Place peaches, pectin, margarine, and lemon juice in a stockpot. Bring to a boil. Add sugar and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Skim foam if necessary (the margarine reduces foam occurrence, so don’t worry if you have none).
- Ladle into hot jars, leaving a ¼” headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a damp cloth and affix warm lids. Tighten rings.
- Place in water bath canner and bring to a boil. Process for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars from canner and allow to cool on a towel. Check the seals after 8 hours. If the lids still have some spring, reprocess or refrigerate for immediate use.
