Canning Peach Honey

I tried this recipe from Clemson University because I thought it would be great to use every bit of that peach goodness we pay for. We loved it!! I wish I had made more, and I will this summer. The recipes for this tell you it’s ready when it’s the consistency of honey, but it will be too thick when it cools. The secret for me is when the foam on top suddenly gets a glazed look, it’s ready! It does take some time depending on the amount you try to cook down. Measure your juice, and add half as much sugar to get the right consistency. This tastes just like honey with a peachy flavor.  You can also make other fruit honeys like strawberry and pear.
Peach Honey
Ingredients:
8 cups peach juice (from peelings) (approximately)
4 cups sugar (use half as much as the amount of juice)
Save all washed, sound pieces and peelings from fruit used for preserves, pickles, etc. (Keep refrigerated in fruit fresh until ready to use if needed.) Cover with water and slowly cook in a covered saucepan until soft - 20-30 minutes. Then put in a cheesecloth lined colander or jelly bag and press to remove all juice. Drip the juice through the cheesecloth or jelly bag and then measure. Use half as much sugar as juice. Place in jelly pan or deep open kettle, and heat, boiling vigorously, until 225-230°. This will take about 2 1/2-3 hours. Watch closely after it gets to 220° as temperature will rise more quickly. When the foam suddenly gets a thick, glazed look, it is ready.  Be sure to check your thermometer to make sure it is at least 225°.
Sterilize canning jars (I do this in the water bath canner). Pour syrup into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process 5- 7 minutes in a boiling water bath. Should yield about 3-5 half pint jars.
August 2009 cost: 37¢ per jar.
You have to use sterile jars because the processing time is so short.
Check Canning Information for more on safe canning.

23 comments:

  1. Hi Iowasue,
    I just stumbled across your blog. So Sweet!
    Very simple and peaceful!!! Just the way I like it. :-) I just picked some cucumbers from my garden and I think I will be trying your cucumber salad tonight. It looks yummy!
    Have a nice evening
    Carissa

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  2. This might sound silly, but what goes good with this? Biscuits? Sweet Tea? It sounds wonderful!

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    1. Besides eating it straight out of the jar? Over vanilla ice cream, on morning toast, in your cup of tea . Whatever you use honey for you can use peach honey.

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  3. Apple Pie Gal,
    My daughter-in-law got raves at work when she served this with Sopaipillas. We eat it as you would regular honey, it has the same consistancy and tastes like honey too. With biscuits, toast, over vanilla ice cream, over fresh peaches in a shortcake (before topping with whipped cream) - now I'm hungry.

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  4. Thank you! I've made peach honey before, but because you're told to cook it until it's the consistency of honey, mine was too thick once it cooled. I knew I would need to cook it less the next time I made it, but was unsure exactly how long to cook it to get the correct consistency. This will be a great help.

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  5. I just found your blog and became a new follower (: Can't wait to come back for more posts...Hope you have a lovely week!!

    Michele xoxo
    The Homesteading Cottage

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  6. Making a batch of peach honey right now! Wondering how to store it once we open a jar and how long will it last before going bad? Thanks!

    Crazy in the Kitchen

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    1. Good luck on your peach honey! We store it on the shelf after opening, like regular honey. It never lasts long because I can it in half-pints. Clemson University doesn't mention anything about refrigerating after opening.
      Here is their page on fruit syrups and honeys.
      http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/food_safety/preservation/hgic3165.html

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  7. I went by your directions for peach honey everything went good til I canned it. It did not seal so now what should I do? I did use honey instead of sugar so can I just put it in the cabinet like honey or do I need to try to can it again?

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    1. I would process it again or refrigerate it; I'd rather err on the side of food safety.

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  8. how long will peach peels keep in the fridge before using for peach honey? Can I freeze the peels for later use?

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    1. I've only kept them for 2 days, while I canned the peaches first. I don't see why they wouldn't freeze, although I haven't tried it myself. I guess I want to keep my peach-canning mess confined to a few days, but it would be cooler to freeze them and cook them later. Good luck - if you try this let us know.

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  9. try it on pancakes or waffles. That's what I do with mine. YUM11

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  10. My peach honey didn't thicken. What can I do?

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    1. You have two choices, simply use it as pancake-type syrup, or cook it down some more and re-can it.

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  11. Thank you! I cooked it down more and it's perfect! My kids love it. Thank you for sharing this recipe

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    Replies
    1. Glad you had success! Sorry you had to cook it twice, but it's good experience.

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  12. what does the end product look like? Is it clear like honey or thick like a jam? I have seen a lot of different pictures.
    Thank you ever so much.

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    Replies
    1. Mine is clear like honey...see the jars in the front left of the photo.

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  13. Can I use this in place of honey for sandwiches? I think soon would like having a change :-)

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    1. We use this for honey in things like that...when we can keep it around...it goes fast!

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  14. So far, I've tried Peach Honey twice. The first batch was honey, the second batch was syrup. ALL of it was tasty. Your recipe gives me some direction, though, so thank you for that. Knowing how hot it needs to be is going to be an immense help. The weather here was horribly hot for canning, so I've put the peelings & fruit juice that accumulates at the bottom of the bowls into the freezer, waiting for October. My granddaughter and I jarred up 80 =/- pounds of peaches over one of the hottest weekends of this year.
    I'm debating with myself about using the pressure cooker for the peach peels. Have you given that any thought? Pressure cooking, not pressure canning. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

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    1. I don't think you'll save anything using a Pressure cooker to cook the peels and water...it only takes 20 to 30 minutes to do this in a regular kettle that you can then use without washing to make the honey. Why wait for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure and then go down afterward, and use two kettles?
      How fortunate you are to have access to all those peaches!

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