K-State Research and Extension

It’s almost peach season and many will be preserving this summer favorite in various tasty treats.

White fleshed peaches, however, cannot be canned like yellow peaches. White peaches are low acid so traditional canning cannot be done, and that includes water bath canning and pressure canning. No research has been done for safe canning. This includes plain peaches, jam, jelly, or any other mixture.

The best option is to freeze white peaches or eat them fresh.

To preserve yellow peaches, see our Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe: Peaches publication.

Source: University of Georgia

Yellow peaches are a favorite to preserve in many ways. Besides just canning peaches, they can be frozen and dehydrated. But there are many other tasty peach treats! Try these:

• Peach-Orange Marmalade
• Peach-Pineapple Spread
• Peach Apple Salsa
• Fruit Puree
• Peach Fruit Topping
• Mixed Fruit Cocktail

As a reminder, there are no canning instructions to can white-fleshed peaches because they are a low-acid food. No research has been done to safely acidify and can white peaches. It is recommended to freeze them for later use.

Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation

For information on canning yellow peaches, see https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf1182.pdf.

Photo: USDA/ARS

There is evidence that some varieties of white-flesh peaches are higher in pH (i.e., lower in acid) than traditional yellow varieties. The natural pH of some white peaches can exceed 4.6, making them a low-acid food for canning purposes. At this time there is no low-acid pressure process available for white-flesh peaches nor a researched acidification procedure for safe boiling water canning.

Freezing is the recommended method of preserving white-flesh peaches.

For instructions on freezing peaches, see Preserving Peaches at www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf1182.pdf

Source: Dr. Elizabeth Andress, University of Georgia Extension