Canning Nectarines

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Preserve summer nectarines at their peak with this tested USDA recipe. The hot pack method keeps the fruit tender and flavorful, and since nectarines don't need peeling, this is one of the easiest stone fruit canning projects for your pantry.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Canning Time25

Total Time1 10

Course: Fruit Canning Recipes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Nectarine Canning Recipes

Servings: servings, makes 7 quarts

Equipment

Water Bath Canner

Ingredients

For Preparing the Fruit

18 lbs nectarines as purchased
Ascorbic acid solution or Lemon Juice in Water for treating cut fruit

For Light Syrup (enough for 7 quarts)

2¾ cups sugar
6½ cups water

Instructions

Prepare equipment: Get your water bath canner heating. Wash jars in hot soapy water and keep hot. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
Prepare nectarines: Wash nectarines thoroughly. Cut in half along the seam and remove pits. Slice if desired (no need to peel). Place cut fruit in ascorbic acid solution to prevent darkening.
Make syrup: Combine sugar and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Keep hot.
Hot pack: Drain nectarines and place in the hot syrup. Bring to a boil. Pack hot fruit into hot jars, layering halves cut-side down, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Add liquid: Ladle hot syrup over fruit, maintaining ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a bubble remover or spatula.
Seal jars: Wipe jar rims clean. Place lids and screw bands on fingertip-tight.
Process: Place jars in boiling water bath canner. Water should cover jars by 1-2 inches. Bring to a rolling boil and process pint jars for 20 minutes or quart jars for 25 minutes (for elevations under 1,000 feet). See altitude adjustments in notes.
Cool: Remove jars from canner and let cool on a towel for 12-24 hours. Check seals. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

Notes

Raw pack not recommended: USDA guidelines state that raw pack produces poor quality nectarines. Always use the hot pack method for best results.

No peeling required: Unlike peaches, nectarines don't need to be peeled before canning. Their smooth skins soften during processing.

Preventing browning: Keep cut nectarines in ascorbic acid solution or water with a splash of lemon juice while preparing to prevent darkening.

Syrup Options

The recipe card uses light syrup as the default, but you can use any of these tested ratios (make the syrup the same way: heat just until sugar dissolves, keep hot for packing).

For a 7-quart canner batch, use these ratios:

Very light syrup: 1 1/4 cups sugar + 10 1/2 cups water
Light syrup: 2 1/4 cups sugar + 9 cups water
Medium syrup: 3 3/4 cups sugar + 8 1/4 cups water
Heavy syrup: 5 1/4 cups sugar + 7 3/4 cups water

For a 9-pint canner batch, use these ratios:

Very light syrup: 3/4 cup sugar + 6 1/2 cups water
Light syrup (recipe card): 1 1/2 cups sugar + 5 3/4 cups water
Medium syrup: 2 1/4 cups sugar + 5 1/4 cups water
Heavy syrup: 3 1/4 cups sugar + 5 cups water

Juice or water packs: Nectarines can also be packed in hot apple juice, hot white grape juice, or hot water instead of syrup. Juice is a great no-added-sugar option. Water is allowed, but the flavor is noticeably flatter and the fruit may taste washed out.

Altitude Adjustments

The processing times in the recipe card (20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts) are for elevations under 1,000 feet. Adjust processing times for higher elevations:

For Under 1,000 Feet in Elevation: 20 minutes for Pints and 25 minutes for Quarts
For 1,001 to 3,000 Feet in Elevation: 25 minutes for Pints and 30 minutes for Quarts
For 3,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 30 minutes for Pints and 35 minutes for Quarts
Above 6,000 Feet in Elevation: 35 minutes for Pints and 40 minutes for Quarts

Nutrition