Our kitchen counter is loaded with fresh peaches, and I’ve been searching for the best things to do with peaches. My kids love peaches and a few weeks ago, my daughter created for me an incredible protein shake full of the fresh smell of a ripe peach. I’d even plant peach trees in my backyard except I’d have to take out other, bigger trees to do it.
I’ve got a lot of peaches, though, so I’m going to need a lot of recipes! Jams, jellies, desserts, and even a few savory dishes — fortunately, peaches go with just about everything. This is one versatile fruit!
Table of contents
When is Peach Season?
Peach season varies across the country. Compare this peach ripening chart to your area of the country, or check u-pick farms and farmer’s markets near you.
Health Benefits
Peaches, a stone fruit, have great antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. They’re full of fiber and can help prevent ailments from digestive issues to certain kinds of cancer. For example, the most researched benefits include boosting immunity and reducing blood sugar levels and certain toxins in the body.
When the peach season is at its height, we peach lovers want more recipes for peaches, beyond peach pie and peach preserves! And if you’re lucky enough to have peach trees on your property, no doubt you, too, are looking for ideas.
Before we get to our list, I want to share two peach recipes we enjoy.
How to Check for Ripeness
There are four things to look for to determine if a peach is ripe:
- It should smell peachy and sweet. No smell, no eat.
- With gentle pressure, it should “give.” If it’s firm, it’s not ready.
- There should be no green on the fruit at all.
- As a peach ripens, it becomes more round.
Two Tasty Recipes I Make With Peaches
Peachy-Pepper Jam
Equipment
- 6 Half-pint canning jars
- Medium saucepan
- Large soup pot for water processing
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely chopped peaches
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped jalepenos
- 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 box pectin
Instructions
- In a medium-size saucepan, add peaches, peppers, vinegar, and pectin. Stir until well mixed.
- Bring to a rolling boil and add sugar. Bring back to a rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring all the while. If there's a bit of foam, spoon it off once the jam is finished boiling.
- Ladle into jars, and process for 10 minutes in a water bath. If you're at a higher elevation, you'll need 15 minutes.
- The chopped peppers may settle near the bottom of the jars, so if you want everything to distribute evenly, you'll need to let it cool off a bit and then give each jar a few very gentle turns to help the peppers redistribute.
Notes
Brown Sugar Peach Preserves
Equipment
- 13 Half-pint canning jars
- Large soup pot for water processing
Ingredients
- 7 lbs. fresh peaches
- 2 cups white or turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cups brown or muscovado sugar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped jalepeno peppers (optional)
Instructions
- You'll find the complete instructions in Daisy's book. This recipe takes a little more time than the Peachy-Pepper Jam because the peaches need to be drained for several hours. Overall, though, the recipe was easy and the results delicious.
Notes
If you haven’t canned peaches before, check out my instructions for canning them.
Phew! After those two recipes, I’m officially hungry. Therefore, without further ado, here is the promised list!
30 Delicious Peach Recipes
By the way, if you don’t have, or are out of fresh peaches, you may be able to adapt some of these recipes for use with canned or frozen.
- Peach lemonade
- Peach salsa
- Peach butter
- Peach ice cream
- Spicy Peach Chutney
- Grilled peaches
- Curried peach sauce
- Peach cobbler
- Peach Chipotle BBQ sauce
- Peach spinach salad
- Peach fruit leather
- Peach preserves
- Peach muffins
- Dehydrated peaches
- Canned peaches
- Chilled peach soup
- Peach pound cake
- Peach smoothie
- Pickled peaches
- Peach Caprese
- Peach mustard sauce
- Peach meatloaf
- Peach Pork Picante
- Peach jam or jelly
- Peach drop cookies
- Peach crumble bars
- Peach pie filling
- Peach and brie quesadillas
- Peach and tomato salad
- Peach and prosciutto pizza
Not a peach person?
On the other hand, maybe you’re not much of a peach person. Never fear! I won’t send you away empty-handed. Here are some yummy recipes for other fruits.
- 7 Ways Blueberries Pack a Powerful, Nutritional Punch to Your Food Storage Pantry
- 7 Delicious Things To Do With Cherries
- 12 Chocolate Strawberry Recipes
- 27 Things You Can Do With Apples
- Cherry Shrub: A Different Kind of Summer Drink
What is your favorite way to use peaches?
This post was updated 06/15/2023 by Team Survival Mom.
Thank you for linking to my dehydrating peaches tutorial. Excellent list you’ve put together!!
Squirrels willing I may be able to get some this year…
Ha! The URL says 15 but the list has 30 . . . somebody loves peaches . . . .
Peaches soaked in red wine
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Pork chops with peaches!
Do I need to peel peaches before making jam
It depends on the recipe, but usually, yes. The instructions for the brown sugar preserves mentioned in this post say to layer peach slices with sugar and then press the fruit through cheesecloth, effectively removing the peel.
I like my peaches almost hard. I slice them and fry the slices with just a bit of butter flavored cooking spray. Till the sugar’s are caramelized and they sure taste great that way!
hello. I have some peaches rapidly ripening. I found your peachy pepper jam recipe above. you do not mention the process of heating the jars, etc etc that you include in your canning peaches article.
how do I safely prepare the jars for the peachy pepper recipe? I’d like to make now and give for Christmas gifts.
I’m new to “canning/jarring” anything.
thanks in advance
I always wash my jars in the dishwasher prior to use and then keep the rings and lids in hot water until I’m ready to put them on the filled jars.
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