This southern peach staple is the perfect topping for your favorite ham or fried chicken. It would also make for a great twist in a Peach Crisp!
If you’re into pickling recipes (or canning recipes), check out these Foodie and Wine favorites: Pickled Peppers, Pickled Red Onions, and How To Pickle Cucumbers.
What To Eat With Spiced Peaches
I’m going to dive head first into the variety of ways you can use this Southern Pickled Peaches recipe. There are so many options, sometimes it’s hard to think of them all!
- Holiday Side Dish (serve them like cranberry relish)
- Cold or Hot Ham Recipes
- Top Fried Chicken, Roasted Pork and Smoked Recipes
- Serve Alongside Candied Jalapeños and Red Pepper Jelly on A Charcuterie Board
- Ice Cream Sundae or Dessert Topping!
- Cocktail Recipes
How to Make Pickled Peaches
Making canned peaches is a quick and simple process. From start to finish, you’re looking at 30 minutes. There are only 4 steps involved: peel the peaches, make the peach syrup, cooking the peaches and transferring them to a sterile canning jar! Plus – only 4-5 ingredients are required: peaches, vinegar, sugar and spices.
Use any leftover peaches to make Peach Simple Syrup!
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Choosing The Best Peaches To Pickle
Select ripe and firm peaches with minimal brown spots (cut off and discard any brown spots the peaches may have). The peaches will soften while they soak in the brine creating the perfect finishing texture and bite. Using overly ripe peaches will become mushy while using under ripe peaches won’t create a peach-forward flavor.
Freestone Peaches– this varietal separates easily from the pit when cut, thereby making it the easiest peach to pickle.
Cling Peaches – the flesh of the fruit tends to “cling” to the pit, making it difficult to separate and slice. If you want canned sliced peaches vs canned whole peaches, you may want to stick to Freestone peaches.
White Peaches –Due to the varying PH levels, the National Center for Home Food Preservation doesn’t recommend using white peaches.
How To Peel Peaches
There are two main ways to peel peaches. Both work great. It just depends on what tools you have at your disposal.
Vegetable Peeler – My preferred route as it’s quick and easy. If your peaches are too soft or your peeler is too dull, you may run into issues.
Boiling – Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peaches into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds before gently transferring them to a large bowl of ice water. The skins will easily peel off.
Recipe Tips From Darcey’s Kitchen
- Peaches – You can either leave them whole (the traditional Southern way) or slice them up after skinning. I usually go with an 1/8″ cut.
- Pickling Vinegar – Wondering what’s the best vinegar for pickling? We break down the top four in our pickled onions post.
- This peach recipe works extremely well with other winter spices, such as: cardamom, star anise pods and vanilla bean.
- Jars of canned peaches, and Mrs Balls Chutney, make great homemade holiday gifts!
- These make a perfect charcuterie cups appetizer addition or Peach Cobbler Dump Cake topping!
- When properly stored (in an air-tight container in a dark space), canned peaches can last up to 12 months.
Quick and Easy Pickled Peaches
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Fresh Peaches, Peeled (*Note 1)
- 2 Cups White Sugar
- ½ Cup White Vinegar (*Note 2)
- ½ Cup Water
- 1 tsp Whole Cloves
- 1-2 Cinnamon Sticks (Approx 3" Each)
Instructions
- Peel the peaches, in your preferred method, and evenly slice to your desired thickness (Note 3). Set aside.
- Add the sugar, vinegar, water, cloves and cinnamon to a large non-reactive saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. Turn the temp down to medium, cover and boil for 5 minutes. Uncover and boil for another 5 minutes.
- Turn the temperature up to medium-high and add the sliced peaches to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let slightly cool before transferring the peaches and syrup to the sterile mason jars. Leave 1/2" space at the top, if canning. Once filled, remove any air bubbles and immediately cover with the matching metal lids.
- OPTIONAL: Boil in a water bath canner for 5 minutes. If using a larger mason jar, or if you live in a higher altitude, you will need to leave in the water bath longer. Consult (Note 4) for an accurate water bath chart.