Peach season is upon and lemme tell you sumptin’ people… I LOOOOOOOOOVE fresh peaches! I’ve had this recipe for a century and make fresh peach pie filling every summer. Now you can either jar/can it when it’s done OR you can use it right away.
Trust me.. when it’s butt-crack cold outside (presuming you live in the a place where it gets butt-crack cold in the winter) nothing speaks ‘summer’ like a warm fresh peach pie.
Homemade Peach Pie filling
- Yield: 2 quarts or 7 quarts
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Ingredients
For 2 quarts of Filling
- 7 cups sliced peaches
- 2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup ClearJel plus 2 tablespoon
- 1 1/2 cups cold water or peach juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 qt jars/lids/rings
For 7 quarts of Filling
- 6 qts of sliced peaches (about 7–8 pounds of peaches)
- 7 cups sugar
- 2 cups ClearJel plus 3 tablespoon
- 5 1/4 cups cold water or peach juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 7 qt jars/lids rings
- Plus an additional 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh pectin
Instructions
- Make an ‘X’ in the bottom of each peach.
- Place into boiling water for 30-60 seconds
- Remove and place into ice cold water
- Remove skins
- Cut up the peaches
- To keep from turning brown mix in 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh. Stir to coat.
- Combine the water, sugar, ClearJel and cinnamon in large pot.
- 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.
- Add in the drained peach slices and cook for 3 minutes.
- Fill the jars within ¾”-1” from the top.
- Put the filled jars in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1” of water.
- Boil for 30 minutes.
Notes
ClearJel is not the same as SureJel – read THIS article that explains the difference and what will happen when you try to substitute one for the other.
My local stores do not carry ClearJel so I order it off of Amazon.
Peggy says
I noticed back in Sept 2013 that you could use Pamona’s Pectin, but haven’t tried it. Have you or anyone that you know of tried that? Thanks
TKWAdmin says
Sorry Peggy I’ve not heard of that pectin.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Cali says
Hi! =) I’m a newbie & this will be my 1st attempt at this. I’ve read everything entirely, all comments, etc. to try & catch tips & little extra’s.
Question: You say this is the “Water Bath Method.” So at the end when you say “place in canner” is a canner a special device? I thought all you needed was a pot large enough for water baths.
Also, are there any images of the steps or a video per chance?
I can’t wait to make this! Thanks so much for posting & replying! Wish me luck! =)
TKWAdmin says
Hi Cali!
A water bath canner is this (http://amzn.to/1KbxSSQ) You can use a very large/deep pot to do it BUT you need to make sure you place a rack on the bottom of it as you cannot let the jars sit directly on the bottom of the pan.
No I don’t have any step-by-step pics of my making this, I’m sorry. I’m trying to figure out the video thing as I LOVE the idea of it but I need to figure out how to edit it first as I know it’ll take me 472 attempts to get the video right 🙂
You can do this!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Lorrie says
I actually use a different type of water bath canner. I have used it for 25 years. I personally hate the huge pots. This one has a round pan with a tray to set the jars on and the large pot goes over. You can get these on Amazon also. I just bought my twin sister one. They are silver and I wouldn’t use anything else. I also steam my Palisade corn with it too, turns out delicious !!
Natalie says
I tried this as is. The recipe for 7 quarts seems a lot of clearjel. Are you sure it should be two plus cups of clearsjel? It was really lumpy and could not boil.
Lorrie says
Mix the sugar and clear jel together first. Then stir into peaches. I don’t use as much clear jel as it seems a little thick. I live in Denver at a high altitude, that might be why.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Natalie,
Yes it’s my Mom’s recipe and it’s always been 2 cups +. HOWEVER I did recently switch who I bought my clearjel from and the same recipe I’ve been making for 20+ years, came out super thick so like Lorrie I actually decreased it to about 1 1/2 + cups and it came out perfect. I’m thinking because I switched brands it may be the reason.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jeannette says
Forgot to rate. Taste great
Jeannette ray says
I noticed some air pockets in my already processed jars even though I thought I got the air bubbles out with a spatula. Is this a problem? Thanks for you help.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Jeannette!
Nah you’ll be fine. No matter how diligent you are at removing the air bubbles, it’s inevitable that a few will slip by. The only time you need to worry is if they are active and start moving or fizzy up to the top of the jar when you open it. If that occurs, your product may be fermenting or contaminated.
Dependent on the maker of your clear jel you may want to cut back just a tad next time you make this.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jeannette says
Thanks for your answer : )
TKWAdmin says
You are most welcome 🙂
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Lorrie says
Wow this recipe is awesome, just got some palisade peaches from colorado, best peaches on planet earth.the pie filling was to die for. I actually added a little less clear jel. I’ve noticed it’s a little thick in recipes. Might be because I live in Denver. Anyway, I saw the recipe for peach jam, so I’m going to use the rest of my peaches for that. Thank you for the awesome canning recipes !!
TKWAdmin says
Lorrie,
Thank you so much! I’ve never had palisade peaches – are they only local to Colorado? I love this recipe as well as the peach jam one.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Lorrie says
Yes, they are grown in Palisade Colorado. People come from all over to get these peaches. They are the best peaches I’ve ever eaten. The pie filling was so delicious !!
Monica says
I’m anxious to try this recipe – I’m a first timer. I was not able to find clearjel at the store but they did have an alternative but it is instant. Does that matter? Can I use an instant jel or not?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Monica!
Yeah I’ve never been able to find Clear Jel in the store but had to order it online. I use this stuff: http://astore.amazon.com/thekitcwhis-20/detail/B00015UC4S
There is much confusion about Clear Jel, probably because it is not readily available in most stores (but can be ordered online easily.) The important thing to know is that there are 2 types that react quite differently, Regular and Instant. Regular is heat activated. It works like regular cornstarch, only it holds up better, with less flavor. It’s primary use is in canning because it is so stable at room temperature. If jam is cooked with the regular instead of pectin, it can be re-heated to adjust thickness by adding more or adding water. Regular breaks down if frozen, after activated, so it can be used in uncooked fillings that are frozen, then cooked, but it can’t be cooked, then frozen. It also is great in hot sauces and stir-fry because it has less flavor and (I think) a better texture than regular cornstarch.
Instant gels upon contact with moisture. To avoid lumping, it is mixed with other dry ingredients, typically sugar, then added to the fruit. It freezes well. This is a great advantage with fruit pies and fillings, because it sets before adding to a crust so it prevents sogginess, and the fruit doesn’t need to be pre-cooked. Prepare a crust, add liquid ingredients to fruit, mix the Instant with the sugar and spices, stir into the fruit and fill crust. The pie can then be frozen, unbaked and baked without needing to thaw. Instant breaks down if baked twice, but you can heat up a piece of pie in the microwave without it becoming runny. I like using the instant for jam.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
LuAnne says
I’m going to pick peaches tomorrow and I’m going to try this recipe for sure. I wanted to mention, for those who are having trouble finding Clear Jel, that you can purchase it from Barry Farm (barryfarm.com) and it’s less expensive than from Amazon.
Do you also have a peach jam recipe?
TKWAdmin says
Hi LuAnne!!!
Thanks for the tip on where to order the Clear Jel!
For peach jam I use the old standard one my Mom did. Every once in a while I’ll mix it up by adding raspberries or other items to it.
Peach Jam
3 1/2 pounds whole peaches (about 10 cups when cut)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
7 cups sugar
1 package pectin (about 8 Tbl)
1. Score and blanche the peaches for 30-60 seconds in boiling water.
2. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bath of ice water.
3. Remove the skins.
4. Cut up the peaches. Cut out any brown spots and mushy areas. Cut the peaches in half, or quarters or slices. Remove pits!
5. Mash up the peaches per your liking.
6. Sprinkle on the lemon juice to the peaches to mix. This will prevent them from browning.
7. In a separate bowl mix together the pectin and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.
8. In a large pot over medium heat add in the fruit, water and pectin mixture.
9. Stir to combine.
10. Bring to a rolling boil. ~5-10 minutes. A rolling boil is a boil that will not go away when you stir the mixture.
11. Add the remaining sugar to the mixture and stir constantly.
12. Bring back to a rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute.
13. To test the thickness keep a metal Tbl sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then the jam is ready. If not, mix in a little more pectin (about 1/4 to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.
14. To can ladle into prepared jars and fill to within 1/4” of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them.
15. Then put them into the boiling water using the water bath method.
16. Cover with 2” of water and boil for 7-10 minutes.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Peggy says
I can not do the hot water bath. They always unseal. I use pressure cooker. Can you tell me how long to do it for in the pressures cooker and which gage to use?
Please help. Thanks
Peggy
TKWAdmin says
Hi Peggy!
I’ve never canned these in a pressure cooker, only the water bath. I did some research and this what the experts say:
Process Times for Peaches (Halved or Sliced) in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner.
Style of Pack Hot and Raw
Jar Size Pints or quarts
Process Time (Min) = 10 minutes
0 – 2,000 ft = 6 minutes
2,001 – 4,000ft = 7 minutes
4,001 – 6,000 ft = 8 minutes
6,001 – 8,000 ft = 9 minutes
Let me know if that helps.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
cptacek says
The process time should be 10 minutes, and the different altitudes should be pounds of pressure, not minutes.
Jeanie says
Before I filled my jars for the canner I tasted the peaches and they are very tart. I used the correct amount of sugar (7 cups and the correct amount of lemon juice (1 3/4 cups) After canning will they be sweet or are they going to remain tart? Well, I just went to pull my jars out of the canner and 2 jars have popped their tops. I’m thinking I had them too full. Heartbreaking. Next time I will be more cautious of how full I make them.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Jeanie,
If it wasn’t sweet enough either your peaches weren’t ripe yet or they were but not naturally sweet. That’s happened to me before. The sugar (7 cups) to 1 3/4 bottle lemon juice is correct. I just made this recipe again (canned 12 quarts and they turned out great). I’m leaning towards the peaches themselves not being sweet enough. That ratio is standard.
OMG that’s horrible to hear 2 of your jars popped their lids. That happened to me when I made marinara sauce for canning. It shattered in the water bath. When canning this you want to leave 3/4-1″ space at the top.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jeanie says
I would like to change my previous rating to 4 stars. Don’t know how to do that, would appreciate it if you could do that for me. I feel certain that my failure was due to my own making. I made a pie last night with the canned filling and husband actually likes the tart peaches. I am now certain the tartness was from the peaches I used and the explosion of my jar tops was due to having filled the jars to full. I have since learned that ClearJel expands when cooked. Next time I will leave at least 1 inch head space and I will use a different type of peach.
Thank and Best Wishes
TKWAdmin says
Unfortunately Jeanie I can’t change that. This is a good feature as it allows me to not change user’s reviews. It’s okay. The fact that you list above you wanted to change it is completely fine. Thank you!
What type of peaches did you use?
Best Kitchen Wishes!
CRS says
Wow! You gave her one star? 🤔😟…… This recipe has been made by hundreds of people over several generations, and rated one of the best!
“Tartness” has NOTHING to do with the recipe…..but In fact, your fruit!!
Really sad, since that rating cannot be changed. 😟
Wonder if you could just delete your entire post?
TKWAdmin says
Thank you hon for your kind words! You’re right. Tartness is entirely fruit related and has nothing to do with the recipe. As for deleting the post, it’s okay. I accept the good with the bad. I use it as a form of educating myself and others. It’s all good 🙂
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Stacy says
If you are having trouble finding clear jel try asking a local bake shop if they can order it from one of their suppliers, it is often used by chefs and bakers in things like fruit sauces. if they will order just be aware the smallest quantity you will likely be able to get is a 5 Kg box or about 11 pounds. be sure to also specify that you want the regular and NOT the instant as both are typically available
Deb says
I was just at an Amish store where they sell the clear jel and somthing called Thermflo. It says for canning/ freezing on the label. Have you ever used this instead of the clear jel? It seems to be less expensive than the clear jel.
I’ve never heard of this.
TKWAdmin says
Hey Deb,
No I’ve never heard of that product. In looking on Amazon it got mixed reviews.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Beverly De Loach says
Amazon.com I have the same problem finding canning supplies and specialty cooking down here on the South TX border. Thank goodness for Amazon!