Peach Salsa

Peach salsa is a sweet and spicy twist on traditional tomato salsa, blending ripe summer peaches with jalapeños, red onion, and a splash of vinegar for safe canning. It’s a bright, fruit-forward preserve that pairs beautifully with grilled meats, tacos, or tortilla chips. This small-batch recipe is easy to customize for heat and flavor, and it’s tested safe for water bath canning.

This peach salsa recipe is everything you want in a sweet and spicy preserve—juicy peaches, crisp peppers, and just enough kick from jalapeños and cayenne. It’s a safe, tested salsa canning recipe that’s bright, fresh-tasting, and easy to customize for your heat preference. Spoon it over grilled meats, serve it with tortilla chips, or pair it with seafood for a colorful summer dish.

Adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, this salsa balances fruit and acidity for a recipe that’s safe for water bath canning. It’s mildly spicy as written, but you can easily scale the heat up or down by swapping your peppers. And thanks to the vinegar base, this peach salsa will stay shelf-stable for up to 18 months—ready to bring a bit of summer to your table year-round.

Ingredients for Peach Salsa

This small-batch peach salsa recipe makes about 4 to 5 pints. The vinegar prevents browning and also ensures safe acidity levels for canning. Use firm, ripe peaches for best texture.

• White or cider vinegar (5% acidity): Provides necessary acidity to make this recipe safe for canning, and has the added bonus of keeping the peaches from browning.
• Peaches: Peeled, pitted, and chopped. Sweet and juicy, they form the base of this salsa.
• Red onion: Adds a sharp, savory bite and helps balance the sweetness.
• Jalapeño peppers: Bring gentle heat. Remove the seeds for milder salsa, or keep them in for extra kick.
• Red bell pepper: Adds crunch and color without additional heat.
• Cilantro: Offers a fresh, herbal note. Optional if you’re not a fan.
• Honey: Naturally sweetens the salsa and balances the vinegar.
• Garlic: Adds savory depth and umami.
• Ground cumin: Gives a warm, earthy base note.
• Cayenne pepper (optional): For extra heat—completely optional but great if you like it spicy.

You’ll notice that there are no tomatoes in this peach salsa, and that’s one of the things I love about it. It’s pretty much all fruit, with a bit of onion and peppers to make it a “salsa” of course.

How to Make Peach Salsa

Before you start chopping, pour the vinegar into your saucepan. As you peel and chop the peaches, drop them into the vinegar and stir gently—this keeps them from browning as you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Once all the peaches are prepped, add the remaining ingredients: onion, jalapeño, red bell pepper, cilantro, honey, garlic, cumin, and cayenne. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. The salsa should thicken slightly as it cooks.

Ladle the hot salsa into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and adjust the headspace if needed. Apply two-part canning lids until fingertip-tight.

Load jars into your boiling water bath canner and process for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. Once processed, allow the jars to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check seals before storing.

Altitude Adjustments

To ensure safety, adjust your processing time based on elevation:

• 0 to 1,000 feet: 15 minutes for half pints, 20 minutes for pints
• 1,001 to 6,000 feet: 20 minutes for half pints, 25 minutes for pints
• Above 6,000 feet: 25 minutes for half pints, 30 minutes for pints

Is This a Safe Salsa Canning Recipe?

Yes—this is a tested salsa canning recipe adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, which follows safe guidelines for water bath canning.

You can safely substitute different types of peppers, as long as the total volume stays the same. That means you can use habaneros for more heat or sweet bell peppers for a milder version. Just don’t increase the total amount of low-acid ingredients like peppers or onions.

The vinegar and peaches provide the required acidity to make this recipe safe. Do not reduce or substitute the vinegar. You may adjust the salt, honey, spices, and herbs to suit your taste, as these don’t affect preservation.

This salsa can also be stored in the fridge for a few weeks or frozen for up to 6 months—but water bath canning gives you shelf-stable jars that last up to 18 months.

Fruit Salsa Canning Recipes

Keep the fruit salsa inspiration going with more tested, shelf-stable favorites.

Apricot Salsa has a deeper, more complex flavor, while Mango Salsa and Pineapple Mango Salsa bring a tropical flair. For a smoky-spicy option, try Chipotle Mango Salsa, or go bold with Summer Fruit Salsa with Honey & Balsamic, which mixes tomatoes, peaches, and pears into one sweet-savory blend.

Peach Canning Recipes

If you’ve got a big haul of fresh peaches, there are plenty of ways to preserve the extras beyond salsa.

For sweet spreads, try Peach Jam or velvety Peach Butter—both perfect for toast or baking. Preserve whole fruit with Peaches in Syrup, or switch it up with a tangy twist by making Pickled Peaches, ideal for serving with roasted meats or cheese boards.