Homemade Peach Pie filling – eat it now or can it for later!

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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 (assuming you live where it gets butt-crack cold in the winter), nothing speaks ‘summer’ like a warm, fresh peach pie.

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oh….my….lawd! I made this today. Let me just say this….oh my lawd! we ate it with a spoon! The best rrcipe out there.


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Homemade Peach Pie filling

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4.8 from 73 reviews

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  • Author: The Kitchen Whisperer
  • Yield: 2 quarts or 7 quarts

Ingredients

For 2 quarts of Filling

  • 7 cups sliced peaches
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup Cook-Type  ClearJel plus 2 tablespoons
  • 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 Cook-Type ClearJel plus 3 tablespoons
  • 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

  1. Make an ‘X’ at 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
  2. To keep from turning brown mix in 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh. Stir to coat.
  3. Combine the water, sugar, ClearJel, and cinnamon in a large pot.
  4. 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.
  5. Add in the drained peach slices and cook for 3 minutes.
  6. Fill the jars within 1” from the top. Put the filled jars in the canner and cover them with at least 1” water.
  7. Boil for 30 minutes. Remove the jars and allow them to sit on the counter for 24 hours undisturbed. After 24 hours check the seals to ensure they are fully sealed. Store for up to a year or 2 in a cool, dark place.

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.

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299 responses

  1. Ebenezersworker

    It is way too lemony!
    I should have followed my thinking and cut the lemon juice in half.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      The amounts listed are pretty standard. Additionally the lemon juice isn’t there for flavoring but rather to balance out the pH level. This is what affects how the pie filling will set. In a nutshell the lemon juice lowers the pH which neutralizes the negative charges on the strands of pectin. The Kitchn did a full article on it – https://www.thekitchn.com/why-do-you-have-to-add-lemon-juice-when-making-jam-223840

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  2. Mike McBane

    How much time in a pressure canner.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      Hi Mike,

      I’ll be honest, I have no clue. I don’t use a pressure canner; just the water bath method.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth

    Loved the peacheck pie filling. I want to try the apple version next. I see the recipe in the comments, but it appears to make 6 or 7 quarts of filling. Do you have a version of the apple filling for a smaller batch? Perhaps 2 or 3 quarts finished pie filling?

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      Hi Elizabeth

      So happy you loved it! No unfortunately I don’t have a smaller batch for canning. At that point, why can only say a quart when you can just freeze or use it right away.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  4. JulieYeager

    This is the first time making pie filling and using ClearJel… and it’s a success!
    The ClearJel is weird and pretty amazing at the same time. It’s a great thickener!
    I made peach pie filling using your recipe and… it’s amazing!! Can’t wait to actually put it into a pie or cobbler!!
    Looking forward to using what wouldn’t fit into the last jar for crepes in the morning 😉
    Thanks so much – looking forward to trying the apple too.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      Yeah!!! Thank you so much Julie! And I love your idea for crepes! YUM!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  5. Kara

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s delicious. I have a few questions, though. Of my seven quarts, three came out perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly as written. The other four quarts had a result I’ve never experienced before (and I’m no stranger to canning fruits and veggies). The pie filling in these four quarts expanded so much inside the jars that there’s hardly any headspace left in the finished product. When the jars went into the boiling water bath, all seven jars had 3/4 inch of headspace.. now these jars have MAYBE 1/4 inch. Of the four suspicious jars, two of the lids buckled. Maybe I had screwed the bands onto these two too tightly, or maybe it had something to do with the expansion of the contents? I replaced those two lids, loosely screwed the bands and reprocessed them. During reprocessing, I also emptied a bit out of these jars to get them back to a safer headspace (this time 1 inch). After putting these two through the boiling water bath a second time the contents expanded again! Any idea why this would have happened? This is my first time using ClearJel but I’m not sure it’s at fault considering that a few of my jars were just fine. I’m also debating what to do with the 4 suspicious jars; I have never had a jar lose headspace during processing and am not sure whether it’s hazardous, especially since they all have a strong seal.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      Oh wow I’ve never heard of that happening ever. I actually called Mama Fantabulous and she never experienced that.

      Someone mentioned they used Instant ClearJel which is not what the recipe calls for. I’ve never heard of instant. Now when I did read about the instant that will cause it to rise and swell.

      Hmmm I’m really stumped on this. Let me do some digging.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
      1. Tiffany

        I just had this same thing happen to me. I did not use Instant Clear Jel either. I even reprocessed them again after removing filling and the filling expanded so much it is literally running out of the jars!

        Reply
        1. Susan V

          Oh emm gee! Best peach pie filling recipe!
          I’m experiencing the same thing. Jars are over flowing after I remove from canner.

          When cooking the filling….I could not boil it for the three minutes or it would have burned. I did two 2 qt batches in a row…used different pans, turned heat down on second batch too. Not sure if this is adding to the expansion issue???

          Going to reprocess those two. Waiting for my other two to come out of the canner.

          Reply
          1. TKWAdmin

            Thanks Susan! That’s so odd. I’ve never had that ever happen (the expansion). I just made 4 batches of this too and no issues. Let me see if I can dig up some details on why expansion happens.

            Best Kitchen Wishes!

            Reply
        2. Tammy

          I believe your jars are cooling to fast. The ones that over flowed…were they on the outside of the 7 cooling on the counter top. Try covering them will a number of towels right away and let cool overnight. This has helped me in the past stop overflow . Hope that helps.

          Reply
          1. A Winters

            Try leaving the jars underwater in the canner for abut 10 minutes after turning off the heat. Pull one out first to see how it will react to the sudden drop in temp. This has fixed all my overflowing issues.

            Reply
  6. Britany

    I read other recipes when researching canning peach pie filling. Some said not to use instant clear jel, but your recipe does stipulate. This is the first time doing this and I didn’t know there were different types of clear jel and I ordered the instant. Would the instant work?

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      I’ve never heard of instant ClearJel. My container just says ClearJel. Hmmm… let me see what I can find out.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  7. Lms

    I read somewhere that you can omit clear jel and just add thickening agent when you go to actually make the pie. Have you tried this method?

    Reply
    1. Nette H

      Yes. Freezing is the best option. It is much safer to add the thickening when you actually make the pie/crisp. Using thickening agents in canning is no longer recommended by the Ball and Kerr companies. You should purchase one of their canning books to be completely safe in your canning journey. (Remember to adjust water bath processing times according to the elevation where you live. Another reason to purchase a canning book)
      This looks yummy! I’m going to freeze mine!

      Reply
      1. TKWAdmin

        Hi Nette!

        Can you share the site from Ball and Kerr where it says to not use thickening agents? I checked the USDA site for canning (United States Department of Agriculture) and they actually recommend using ClearJel http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE02_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf) or the parent site (https://nifa.usda.gov/press-release/usdas-complete-guide-home-canning-available). Look at the pie filling sections. Interesting though! I’ll reach out to Ball and Kerr as I want to make sure I’m doing it right. Great tip!

        Best Kitchen Wishes!

        Reply
    2. TKWAdmin

      I only use ClearJel when I can my pie filling. If I’m making a fresh peach pie right away (meaning I’m not canning it) I do not use it. The purpose of using ClearJel for canning is to thicken it but also to thicken it without it turning cloudy. Cornstarch and the like will make your pie filling cloudy.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  8. Bonnie

    I’m so excited to try this recipe! When you say 2 cups of clear Jel do you actually mean two cups or two boxes? I also bought the sure jel brand. I hope that doesn’t make a huge difference.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      Bonnie

      I mean 2 actual cups. Sure Jel and Clear Jel are 2 different items and you won’t get the same result. Look at this post I wrote recently discussing the difference. https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2017/08/08/tuesdays-tip-with-the-kitchen-whisperer-when-you-cant-find-clearjel-for-canning/

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  9. Kris

    Ok… so I think I read every comment written here and I’m still not positive which clear gel to buy??? Instant or the one you cook….???? I am assuming it is the “cook” kind?? I really want to make the peach pie filling, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  10. Marie B

    I’m so happy, my first canning project turned out beautifully. Thanks for the wonderfully easy instructions. Can’t wait to make some mini peach pies. Marie from Canada

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin

      Yeah!!!! Congratulations! Thank you so much!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply

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