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Peach Chutney: How to Make and Can Peach Chutney Easily! With Step-by-step Photos, Recipe, Directions, Ingredients and Costs

Peach Chutney Recipe and Canning Directions

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Yield: about 7 to 10 jars (8 ounce size); it depends on the size of the peaches.

Making and canning your own peach chutney is quite easy! Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. In the winter when you open a jar, the peaches will taste MUCH better than anything you've ever had from a store, and by selecting the right fruit, it will use less sugar than store-bought canned peaches. Don't let the list of ingredients worry you; they're all readily available at any grocery store! Best of all, you can refrigerate it OR can it for later use.

Prepared this way, the jars have a shelf life of about 12 to 18 months, and aside from storing in a cool, dark place, require no special attention.

You may also be interested in how to make mango chutney or  How to make mango salsa

Directions for Making and Canning Peach Chutney

Ingredients

• 20 to 24 peaches, medium to large, slightly under-ripe - just not dead ripe (total weight about 6 lb or 3 kg) - regardless of the raw intact amount, you 'll need about 3.5 to 4 quarts of peeled, cut up peaches.
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1 large onion (finely chopped )  about 3/4 cup
• 5 cups red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup mustard seed
• 1.5 teaspoons ginger paste (available from Asian grocery stores), or 2 Tablespoons ground dry ginger or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger.
• 2/3 teaspoon cumin seeds  or ground cumin, if you can't get the seeds
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste or puree

Equipment

• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)
• Lid lifter (I like the lid rack that holds 12 lids or you can pull them out one at a time with the lid-lifter that has a magnet from the almost-boiling water where you sanitize them. ($4 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates)
• Jar funnel ($4 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates)
• At least 1 large pot
• Large spoons and ladles ,
• Canning jars (often called Ball jars, Mason jars or Kerr jars) (Publix, Kroger, other grocery stores and some "big box" stores carry them - about $8 per dozen 8-ounce size or pint size jars including the lids and rings) . I would stick to pint jars or 8 ounce jars.  Quarts would be pretty big for an acidified fruit product.  The USDA did test quart jars, though, and found them safe. But, you will get better safety and quality from the smaller jars due to better heat penetration in the canner.
• 1 water bath canner (a huge pot with a lifting rack to sanitize the jars of peaches after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates) You CAN use a large pot instead, but the canners are deeper, and have a rack top make lifting the jars out easier. If you plan on canning every year, they're worth the investment.

Recipe / Directions

Step 1 - Selecting the peaches

Choose ripe, mature fruit of ideal quality for eating fresh or cooking. They should not be mushy, but they also should not be rock hard: just a bit less than dead ripe. 

Step 2 - How many peaches and where to get them

You can pick your own, or buy them at the grocery store.  But for large quantities, you will find that Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's seem to have the largest peaches and best prices.

Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids

This is a good time to get the jars ready! The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle. Otherwise put the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. I just put the lids in a small pot of almost boiling water for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" (available from target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) to pull them out.

Step 4 -Wash the peaches!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the peaches in plain cold or lukewarm water.

Step 5 - Peeling the Peaches

Peaches and nectarines should be peeled, as their skins can be tough / chewy in jam.  Peaches have such thin skins, you really don't need to peel them.

For those you want to peel, here's a great trick that works with many fruits and vegetables with skins (like tomatoes): just dip the fruit in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. 

Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and put into a large bowl or pot of cold water and ice.

The skins will easily slide off now IF the peaches are ripe! The more unripe they are, the longer you will need to heat them.

Step 6 - Cut up the peaches

Cut out any brown spots and mushy areas. Cut the peaches in half, or quarters or slices, as you prefer! Remove pits!

Then mush them up a bit:

Step 7 - Prevent the fruit from darkening!

Now, to keep thefruit from turning brown, when you get a bowlful, sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh (which is just a mix of citric acid and vitamin C, perfectly natural).  Then stir the peaches to make sure all the surfaces have been coated.

Step 8 - Add the spices

Add the sugar, vinegar and spices to the chopped peaches.:

• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1 large onion (finely chopped )  about 3/4 cup
• 5 cups red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup mustard seed
• 1.5 teaspoon ginger paste (available from Asian grocery stores), or 2 Tablespoons ground dry ginger or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 2/3 teaspoon cumin seeds  or ground cumin, if you can't get the seeds
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste or puree

Step 9 - Cook the peach chutney

Simmer over low heat for 30 to 90 minutes - the goals is just to thicken it to the consistency you desire!  When it cools, it will thicken further, so there's no need to cook it to death!

Step 10 - Fill the jars

Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth. Add lid, screw band and tighten firmly and evenly. Do not over tighten.

Step 11 - Process the jars in the water bath

Put the sealed jars in the canner and keep them cover with at least 1 inch of water and boiling. Boil them for at least 20 minutes (and no more than 30 min).

Step 12 - Remove and cool

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight), here they won't be bumped. You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

Peaches, pears and apples may also show a blue, red or pink color change after canning. This is the result of natural chemical changes that sometimes occur as fruits are heated. It is harmless and won't affect flavor!

Also, avoid storing canned food near heat sources such as a furnace, water heater, hot water or sunny areas. Jars need to be kept cool and dark for longer storage life and to protect against spoilage. Be sure to store in a dry place. If the lid or band rusts, that can cause the seal to break.

Your chutney will probably be darker in color than these and look more like the single jar shown. It depends upon how much spice you use and how long you cook it.

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