Peach pie screams summer. As a kid I knew the long hot summer days were paying off when the peaches ripened, and pies were popping out of the oven. Of course peaches were also being jarred and dried and jammed and syruped. Yum! Same today. I sadly no longer live in peach country, but local fruit seller type people have been known to haul the peaches in from peach country. I have also been known to make the 600 mile round trip to peach country to load my little buggy with peaches and nectarines and pears for at home canning joy.
Today’s preserving adventures did not include fruit seller type people and it did not require a 600 mile journey. Today’s adventures began with 35 gifted peaches. I am not sure where these peaches grew up but they were mostly intact and eager to be turned into something. I was happy to help. At the end of the day Mimi’s Kitchen ended up with 8 pints of peach pie filling and an Excalibur dehydrator filled with peach slices. There was a mini pie full of peaches left over for tonight’s after dinner delight. Yes, I baked a mini peach pie to remind me that summer busy-ness is delicious and worth tired feet and sore backs.
We usually froze peach pie filling when I was a kid. But I prefer to make shelf stable foods and leave my limited freezer space for meat and freezer meals. We used cornstarch or flour to thicken our pies. That works fine for fresh or frozen pies but is not so great for canning purposes. When I can pie filling, I prefer to use Clear Jell. It is a product made of modified cornstarch and is ideal for canning projects. It must be briefly cooked before water bathing the filling and then it holds up very well to the heat of both the canner and the oven. I have never seen Clear Jell in my local grocery store; I order mine from Amazon.
I did not have enough peaches for my full recipe; it halved nicely. Here is the full recipe. Most people can pie filling in quarts. The full recipe is good for 7 quarts. I can in pints because single me prefers to make mini pies. One pint makes 2 single-me mini pies.
Peach Pie Filling for Canning
6 quarts peaches peeled and sliced (about 15 pounds)
7 cups sugar
2¼ cups Clear Jell (cook type)
5¼ cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1¾ cup lemon juice
Instructions
Before dealing with all these peaches sterilize 7 quart jars or 14 pint jars. Set aside.
Add 6-8 quarts water to a large stockpot and bring to a simmer.
Set a large mixing bowl with cold water, ice cubes and ¼ cup lemon juice close to the boiling water.
To make peeling so many peaches easier make an ‘X’ at the bottom of each peach and dunk into simmering water for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove peaches from hot water and place in your bowl of cold water. Peels will now slide off easily very easily.
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Slice off any rough bits or imperfections and then slice into another large mixing bowl. To keep these peaches from turning brown as you slice all 7 quarts gently stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix again from time to time to keep all the slices from turning brown. The peaches will begin to release their juices thus making the gentle mixing process easier.
In a large stockpot whisk together sugar, Clear Jell and cinnamon. Add 5 ¼ cups water and stir until the sugar mixture is dissolved. Stir and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add the lemon juice and boil the sauce for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. I often find that the goo thickens so quickly I cut the boiling time a few seconds short.
Add peach slices and cook for 3 minutes.
Fill the prepared jars within 1” from the top. Clean the jar rims with a clean cloth towel wettened with a bit of vinegar and then cap with a canning lid. Screw on the rings finger tights (that means secure but not cranked on) Put the filled jars in a water bath canner and add water to cover the tops of the jars.
Boil for 30 minutes (quarts) or 25 minutes (pints).
Let the jars cool in the canner for an hour and then remove the jars and let them rest on the kitchen counter 24 hours undisturbed. After 24 hours remove the rings and check the seals. If any jars do not seal then you may reprocess. I usually just make pie and call it a good day.
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