Canning peaches in honey is one of my favorite ways to preserve fresh peaches without using a heavy sugar syrup. The peaches are still sweet, tender and full of summer flavor, but honey gives the syrup a richness that plain sugar doesn’t.

Home-canned peaches are also one of my family’s favorite pantry treats. My kids can easily go through one or two jars a week, so when peach season arrives, I put up a lot of them.

I learned to can peaches alongside my grandma when I was little, much like I can with my own kids today. She taught me how to fill jars, preserve what was in season and put food away for winter. I’ve changed some of the methods over the years as canning recommendations have changed, but the tradition of putting up peaches is one I’ve carried with me.

Here in North Idaho, peaches aren’t something I’m walking out to the garden to pick. I buy them from local growers when they’re in season, then preserve enough to enjoy long after summer is gone.

For this recipe, we’ll use yellow-flesh peaches and process them in a boiling-water canner. I’ll walk you through choosing peaches, preparing the honey syrup, packing the jars and adjusting processing times for your elevation.

millhorn farmstead, canning peaches in honey,

Grandmas Favorite Trick.

One of my favorite peach canning tricks, is one my grandmother taught me when I was young. To get a super rich amber color, toss in a peach pit in the bottom of every jar before adding your halved peeled peaches. I have entered my peaches into the county fair several times and each time the color of my peaches stand out beautifully against the reigning sugar canned peaches. – Note, this is not approved by any alphabet canning police.

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Canning Pickled Beets

Preparing Peaches for Canning

Before you begin, prepare your boiling-water canner according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Wash your jars and keep them hot while you prepare the peaches.

One of the easiest ways to peel a large batch of peaches is to blanch them first. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and have a bowl of ice water ready nearby.

Working with a few peaches at a time, lower them into the boiling water for about 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer them immediately to the ice water. Once they’re cool enough to handle, the skins should slip off easily.

Cut the peeled peaches in half and remove the pits. You can leave the peaches in halves or slice them, depending on how you prefer to use them later.

To help prevent browning while you work, place the prepared peaches in water containing ascorbic acid according to the product directions. Drain the peaches before packing them into jars.

Canning Peaches in Honey

Preserve ripe yellow peaches in a lightly sweetened honey syrup for a simple summer canning recipe you'll be glad to have on the pantry shelf all winter. Makes roughly 7 quarts

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

20 pounds ripe firm freestone peaches
Bottled lemon juice for holding peeled peaches while you work
Water for the holding solution
1 cup granulated sugar per batch of syrup
1 cup liquid honey per batch of syrup
4 cups water per batch of syrup

Method

Prepare your boiling-water canner. Wash the jars and keep them hot while you prepare the peaches.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and add lemon juice. I use this to hold the peeled peaches while I’m working and help reduce browning.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, cut a small X in the bottom of each peach.
Working with a few peaches at a time, lower them into the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the skins begin to loosen.
Transfer the peaches immediately to a bowl of ice water. Slip off the skins, cut the peaches in half and remove the pits.
Place the peeled peach halves in the lemon water while you finish preparing the remaining peaches.
To make the honey syrup, combine 4 cups water and 1 cup granulated sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stir in 1 cup liquid honey. Reduce the heat and keep the syrup hot until ready to use. One batch makes approximately 5 cups of syrup. Prepare additional batches as needed.
Drain the peaches. Pack the raw peach halves into hot jars, cavity-side down and overlapping the layers. Pack to within a generous 1/2 inch of the top of the jar.
Ladle the hot honey syrup over the peaches, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace with additional hot syrup if necessary.
Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if necessary. Wipe the jar rims clean. Center the lids and apply the bands until fingertip tight.
Place the jars in the boiling-water canner and process according to jar size and elevation.
When processing is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Let the jars rest for about 5 minutes before carefully removing them.
Place the jars upright on a towel or cooling rack and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals before labeling and storing.

Raw-Pack Processing Times

Elevation	Pints	Quarts
0–1,000 ft	25 minutes	30 minutes
1,001–3,000 ft	30 minutes	35 minutes
3,001–6,000 ft	35 minutes	40 minutes
Above 6,000 ft	40 minutes	45 minutes

How Many Peaches Do I Need for Canning?

A good estimate is about 2½ pounds of fresh peaches per quart jar. A full seven-quart canner load will take approximately 17½ pounds of peaches.

I typically buy peaches in 20-pound boxes and work through one box at a time. The exact number of jars I get varies depending on the size of the peaches and how tightly I pack them.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canning Peaches in Honey

FAQ

Yes. Peaches can be canned using a syrup containing honey. I use a honey syrup made with water, granulated sugar and liquid honey rather than a traditional sugar-only syrup.

Peaches do not require added lemon juice for safe water-bath canning when following a tested peach-canning recipe. I use lemon water to hold my peeled peaches while I work because it helps prevent them from browning.

Yes. Peaches can be raw packed into hot jars and covered with hot syrup before water-bath processing. Raw-packed peaches require a longer processing time than hot-packed peaches.

Peeling is recommended for canned peaches. Blanching ripe peaches briefly in boiling water and transferring them to ice water makes the skins much easier to remove.

Yes. Sugar is not what makes canned peaches safe. It primarily helps preserve the fruit’s flavor, color and texture. Peaches can also be canned in water or juice when using an appropriate tested method.

Fruit can float when air remains in the fruit tissue, and raw-packed peaches are particularly prone to floating. Packing the peaches firmly and removing air bubbles before processing can help, although some floating is normal.