Peach Preserves That Will Knock Your Socks Off – And you won’t believe how easy they are!

What do Southerners love more than their Mamas and their biscuits? Good things to put on our biscuits, of course!!! We top these light and fluffy creations with numerous things. Molasses, honey, chocolate gravy, fresh butter, assorted meats and cheeses, jellies, jams, and the ever wonderful preserves. Homemade preserves are quite possibly the perfect compliment to the southern biscuit.

My great grandmother, Mama Reed, loved to make preserves. My mother remembers summer days where Mama Reed spent the better part of the day standing over her stove stirring the fruity sweet concoction in large pots with long handled spoons. That evening’s supper was always a special treat as Mama Reed canned what she could and whatever was left that wouldn’t fit into her canning jars was ladled into a large bowl and sat amidst hot biscuits on the dinner table.

Well, Southerners are nothing if not inventive. That is where this preserves recipe comes in. Who would have thought preserves this good would start with canned peaches? My mother swears these peach preserves are the best she has ever tasted. Just think, to get that kind of praise with no gathering, peeling, or cutting!

I made these around five thirty this morning. Normally, I prefer not to do tutorials before seven a.m. but these were easy enough that you don’t even have to fully awake to get them going. Well, I put them on then. From start to finish they take about two ours but require very little fuss. About half an hour before they were done I whipped up some homemade biscuits and fresh coffee and we were off to the races!

Without further hesitation, lets get a little bit of heaven on a biscuit cooking in your kitchen!

Ingredients: Two 29 oz cans of peaches in heavy syrup and two cups of sugar.
Seriously, that’s it.
Honest!
Pour both cans of peaches and syrup into a medium sized pot and turn the heat on medium low.
Stir and heat for a little over half an hour. Just stir them every ten minutes or so, being gentle with your spoon so you don’t break up the peaches. You’re just getting them nice and hot here, not going for boiling or anything.
Add sugar to pot and stir gently.
Once you have your sugar all stirred into the peaches, turn the heat on medium. Now we’re going to cook these until they have cooked down to about 1/3 or 1/4 of their original volume. Still, there is no need to fuss over it. Just give it a stir every ten minutes or so, when you think of it!
This is what they will look like after about forty five minutes. You’re a little less than half done. I just had these puppies boiling and checked on them when I thought about it.
It takes anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours for them to cook down this much. The peaches will be a little browned and the juice will be nice and thick, taking on the texture and look of preserves.
YUM!! PRESERVES!!!
This yields about a pint and a half of Perfect Peach Preserves!
Go ahead, impress someone today!
If you don’t tell them how easy these are, I won’t!

Perfect Peach Preserves

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 – 29 oz cans peaches in heavy syrup
  • 2 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Pour peaches and syrup into medium sized pot.
  2. Heat over medium low for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in sugar.
  3. Raise heat to medium and continue cooking for an hour and a half to two hours, or until the peaches have cooked down to 1/3 or 1/4 of their original volume and have the consistency of jam or preserves. Remove from heat.
  4. Store in refrigerator or in pantry if canned properly.
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Posted by on Aug 24 2008. Filed under Breakfast, FEATURED Southern Favorites!, Sauces/Other, Southern Classics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

45 Comments for “Peach Preserves That Will Knock Your Socks Off – And you won’t believe how easy they are!”

  1. Pinky

    Oh now that does look easy! I make strawberry freezer jam but its not nearly as easy as this!

    • Kathy

      I loved your quick and easy recipe on the canned peach preserves. I have peaches ripening on my tree and I was wondering if I could adapt fresh peaches from the tree to this version just by adding more sugar in place of the heavy syrup? Thanks again for the step by step instructions. I LOVE your site.

  2. Southern Plate

    OH I LOVE STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM! In fact, after you’ve had strawberry freezer jam I think you are spoiled to all other strawberry jams and jellies!

    You gotta try this gal! I may show up at a crop with a couple of jars of it and some biscuits one of these days!

  3. LEN

    I have to try this. Peach preserves is Justin’s favorite, and this is too easy. BTW, I can’t wait to make the country casserole. I’m always looking for a good easy casserole that makes enough to freeze.
    Laura

  4. Cee

    Wow, and I just put up 18 quarts of peaches and put them in the freezer…..guess what im gonna make?……hehehehe

  5. Southern Plate

    Len, I got a GREAT casserole coming up soon. Its a crispy chicken and rice that I just salivate over thinking about it! Let me know if you try these or the country casserole!

    Cee: Oooh wee! Peaches!! I may come raid your freezer!

  6. Mommy's Kitchen

    Christy this is just to easy of a recipe. My husband loves peach preserves. Guess what i am going to be making to add to my Chistams Baskets??? I am going to can a bunch of these for extra gifts. MIL will flip.

  7. Southern Plate

    Tina, you just won’t believe how good these are, honestly!
    I am going to give some away for Christmas too. I’m going to get those small 1/2 pint jars and then each recipe will make four of them. I think I’ll make twelve or so for starters. Also, the crock pot apple butter is a huge hit and in smaller jars a recipe of it makes a TON!
    I’m heading today to get my jars now. you can never find them at Christmas when you need them most!
    Christy

  8. heather

    I want to thank you for all the great recipes you have shared. I also love the fact that you add pics of every detail even the ingred. thanks again

  9. Southern Plate

    Heather, thank YOU! I appreciate you reading Southern Plate and especially the feedback. It is so valuable! Sometimes when I am posting all of these photographs I can’t help but wonder if folks are rolling their eyes at every single step being detailed! LOL

    Sit down and stay a spell, I got lots more up my sleeve!
    Christy

  10. ~Holly

    Yummy! I love peaches!! I love stopping by. You are definitely a southern belle in my book! :)

  11. Stephanie

    Wow, I really have to try that. I love recipes that seem like they’re impressive, but in reality take very little effort at all. Canned peaches and sugar – I’m very impressed. :-)

  12. Southern Plate

    Holly – oh my! thank you for such a wonderful compliment! I do hope you keep coming back!

    Stephanie – These are just wonderful, I think we should keep it our little secret how easy they are though! Can’t wait for you to try them!

  13. Bill G

    That looks good! I’ll try it for my dad.. being diabetic, I can’t touch them. I need to learn how to can stuff. I still have my mom’s old canner and a huge load of ball jars that have never been used. I’d love to can these for my dad.. he’s a peachaholic. Anyone know of a step by step tutorial on the web for dense men? “Canning for dummies” perhaps?

    Anywhoooo… Your Beef Stew with Country Bob’s sauce has been cooking since 5am. Had to go to Walmart at 4am to get carrots, I was out. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

  14. Southern Plate

    Hey Bill! These are really easy to can, no need for a canner and all that. Just need a clean jar and a fresh lid insert. I’ll try to get instructions up this week for you!

  15. Las Vegas Linda

    I wanted to thank you for this wonderful and super easy recipe. I made it with half peaches and half apricots. So good! I’ve used it as an ingredient in Apricot chicken, and we have been enjoying the rest with toast, English muffins, biscuits and even pancakes. This will be a regular item in my recipe repertoire from now on.

  16. Mommy's Kitchen

    Good Morning Christy I have the peaches on my grocery list today!!!! I want to get started on some early canning for Thanksgiving/Christmas this will be perfect. This is something i can really do aheah of time.

  17. Mommy's Kitchen

    Christy i know you are gone on Vacation. Today we are getting the rain and aftermath of Hurrican Ike. So its the perfect day to stay home and cook. I have the Peach Preserves cooking as i type they smell wonderful. I cant wait till there done. I just added the sugar so its still a long way aways. I am canning them for holiday gifts.

  18. Su!

    Oh no…I made this on the weekend. My peaches burnt! :(
    It wasn’t altogether burnt, it got a little stuck at the bottom of the pan so it’s slightly more caramelized than it probably should have been, so I think I will keep it for cake. I’m thinking it would work well for a ripple cake. I’ll attempt it again in the future though, next time I’ll adjust the sugar. For me the two cups of sugar made it a touch too sweet, and the sweetness overpowered the peaches.

  19. Xasora

    Oh wow, these look amazing. I can’t wait until I’m out of work in a few weeks, and I can make some! They’ll be *great* to have this winter. I’m drooling over the pictures, I can’t believe that it’ll be as easy as it looks though!

  20. Thanks for providing information and prices of different variety of socks. I need this info because i am using online shopping services.

  21. Susan

    We just made these peach preserves along with the buttermilk buscuits. I am amazed at how tasty the preserves were. I was skeptical at first because it seemed too easy to have something that tasted so good! My daughter does not like peaches but she loved these. Thank you!

  22. Becky-Sue

    I have avoided reading this recipe for months because I was convinced it was too difficult! Was I ever wrong! I am totally making these. You ROCK!!!!!!!

  23. Carrie

    When we visited Nashville, we stopped at the Loveless Cafe on our way to Memphis. I bought a jar of their peach preserves. I was a little disappointed because you couldn’t really taste peaches. It was more just sugar. When I got back home to Honolulu, Hawaii, I decided that I would try to figure out a way to make peach preserves (my hubby is from Georgia and loves them). Anyway, I must say that the ones I made were much better than Loveless. I used frozen peaches, white sugar, and brown sugar. The brown sugar, I believe is the secret.

    I will try these with canned peaches instead.

    • Now yours sound like heaven on a biscuit! I’m gonna have to try that!
      I love brown sugar………

    • Bob Berentz

      In cookies, whole wheat bread etc. I like to get three sugars going – White 1/5, Brown 2/5 and Turbo Pure Cane 2/5. I would try the three here also. This sounds good .. I’m trying to get hay up in Idaho but I sure have time for this.

  24. I don’t know how on earth I managed to miss this recipe. Pear preserves are about the only jam, jelly, etc. that I will eat so I think I may have to get a couple cans and try those instead of peaches.

  25. Denise

    These sound amazing! If I want to can them so I can store in the pantry, how long should I process them? Also, would you suggest cutting back on the cooking time a bit because of the processing?

  26. Just made these this afternoon. They are delicious, and easy as falling off a log. Yes, we will revisit this in time for Christmas. Thank you!

  27. Paula Crain

    I cannot believe how easy this is. This makes me want to run to Wal-Mart to pick up some peaches. Thanks for sharing!!!!!!

  28. Megan

    I’d love to make this and can it… but, I don’t know how!

    Do you have a tutorial about that yet? :)

    • Sure do! I have a complete tutorial with photos AND a video introduction!
      Just use the search box at top right of page and type on “canning”.
      I’ll try to hop on here tomorrow and paste the link for ya too. I’m on my phone now laying in bed telling myself I’m gonna go to sleep. Lol.

      So glad you like this one and can’t wait to show ya how EASY canning is!
      Gratefully
      Christy

  29. Gloria Fisher

    Hi Christy
    Can this receipe be made with splenda to cut the sugar for a
    diabetic? Iam a new sister to your site and lovin it
    Iam going to try to make the applebutter tomorrow and
    cant wait..Hopin to can it to give to others too…
    Thanks for all your great receipes and fun notes…
    looking forward to more
    Gloria

  30. Vivian

    I love this! Does it work for pears too? I really want to know how to make pear preserves…

  31. I’m wondering if you can tell me if I can prepare peach butter using crock pot method you use for apple butter. Wouldn’t it be the same except you wouldn’t need to season the same way?

  32. Brenda

    Just found your website. LOVE IT!!! I love the pic’s of the recipes too! It’s nice to find someone that I can relate to. (southern country phrases) Looking forward to each new recipe!

  33. [...] these with Crock Pot Apple Butter, Super Easy Peach Preserves, or Chocolate Gravy! (you can make Chocolate Gravy with Splenda, [...]

  34. Hi there I appreciated your article. I think that it is necessary when talking about diabetes to at least refer to natural treatments that have been shown to be efficient in controlling high blood glucose. Numerous natural herbs can be including in a diabetics treatment that will help keep a wholesome sugar level.

  35. ALEXIS

    Hello Christy, I am only 27 but have been canning since I was about 22. I learned from my Granny and have been doing it ever since. Your recipe is a God send, no picking, cleaning, peeling, and chopping involved. I just have one question. Do you think this works with canned pears?:D

  36. jojo

    i just finished making these and it yield 7-125 ml,canning jars ,my family loved it,but i must say…i cheated a lil bit and added a spinkle of cinnamon,it gave them a beatiful flavor,thank you.this definitley a keeper :) buy the way i love your site and im getting your recipe book,looking forward to making other recipes in the near future,happy cooking everyone :)

  37. Kandie

    Hi Christy. I came across this recipe while browsing your site recently and it put me in a Suzy Homemaker mood, especially since I’d just bought a vintage floor-length apron AND dusted off my bread making machine. Yesterday I made your preserves while baking a raisin bread and I’m telling you, neighbors were hovering for samples when I was done. I have never canned but felt like Supercook after trying the preserves. I would think they could be made with any canned fruit with heavy syrup? I might try apricot or plum next, just to be creative! Thank you so much again.

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