Water Bath Canning Fresh Ontario Cling-Free Peaches - Quarantine 2020

The blessings of living in Ontario at harvest time. I have not canned peaches for a few years now, but this year I found some cling-free peaches. Cling-free means they come apart easily after you blanch them, remove the skin, and cut the peach in half. In most other years, I could not find them and had to settle for peach jam. If the peach is stone-free there is little work getting them blanched and into jars in a nice syrup. 

This is the year many new canners have entered the preserving mindset, I am happy about that. It is definitely a good time to learn new skills. Supply chains being what they are. 

I use the recipe on the NCFHP website for peaches. Make sure to only follow a safe recipe from a safe source. I will add a copy for you here of the recipe: 

Selecting, Preparing and Canning Fruit

Peaches-Halved or Sliced

CAUTION:  Do not use this process to 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. At this time there is no low-acid pressure process available for white-flesh peaches nor a researched acidification procedure for safe boiling water canning. Freezing is the recommended method of preserving white-flesh peaches.

Quantity: An average of 17½ pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16 to 24 quarts – an average of 2½ pounds per quart.

Quality: Choose ripe, mature yellow-flesh peaches of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking.

Please read Using Pressure Canners and Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.

Procedure: Dip fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins loosen. Dip quickly in cold water and slip off skins. Cut in half, remove pits and slice if desired. To prevent darkening, keep peeled fruit in ascorbic acid solution. Prepare and boil a very light, light, or medium syrup or pack peaches in water, apple juice, or white grape juice. Raw packs make poor quality peaches.

Hot pack – In a large saucepan place drained fruit in syrup, water, or juice and bring to boil. Fill jars with hot fruit and cooking liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Place halves in layers, cut side down.

Raw pack – Fill jars with raw fruit, cut side down, and add hot water, juice, or syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process.

Processing directions for canning peaches in a boiling-water canner are given in Table 1.

Processing directions for canning peaches in a dial- or weighted-gauge canner are given in Table 2 and Table 3.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Peaches, halved or sliced in a boiling-water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 - 3,000 ft	3,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Pints Quarts	20 min 25	25 30	30 35	35 40
Raw	Pints Quarts	25 30	30 35	35 40	40 45

For the eight jars, you see I used 10 pounds of peaches. I  hot packed and water bathed them in pints in heavy syrup. 

With the world as different as it is today, September 02 2020, it is always a good idea to have a little extra in the pantry that you normally may not have. I noticed on my trip to the grocery, the shelves with fresh canned fruit was all but bare. It behooves me to make sure I had a little bit for the cold months and it meant I needed to can it myself. 

This precious sweet fruit reminds me of a saying, "either the tree good and the fruit is good, or the tree bad and the fruit will be bad." You will know a tree by the fruit it bears. 

Remember to be kind and share, be abundant in your heart, let your fruit be sweet and nourish others, and worth keeping in the heart. 

Stay home, stay safe, and help where you can.

~ Cookin Mum ~