The 2-Ingredient Trick To Making Trader Joe's Canned Peaches Right At Home

Trader Joe's yellow cling canned peaches are a deceptively simple luxury. Sold in a 24.7-ounce jar for under $5, shoppers rave about their versatility, surprisingly fresh flavor, and quality. This means they often sell out quickly, making them hard to find when you crave them most.

If you want to enjoy a juicy burst of seasonal flavor year-round, you can use this simple, two-ingredient trick for your own homemade Trader Joe's canned peaches dupe. While most canned peaches are preserved in syrup, Trader Joe's are packed in white grape juice. Grape juice is a simple way to elevate home-canned peaches without using sugar or corn syrup. It gives them a subtle sweetness imparted with a light, crisp, and slightly tart yet balanced flavor profile.

Whether you're a home canning expert or just a beginner, you can make your own TJ's-worthy canned peaches by simply picking up a bottle of your favorite white grape juice brand before you begin. You can further experiment with the overall flavor of each jar by using different yellow peach varieties, types of juice, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice.

For instance, Early Elberta peaches have a rich, rounded flavor that is slightly acidic and can be perfectly balanced by the tart sweetness of the grape juice, while Hale peaches are sweet, fragrant, and tangy and pair well with warming spices. A standard, store-bought white grape juice without any added sugar will give your peaches a subtle sweetness with a slight bite, while using a more elevated juice, like Muscat Canelli white grape juice, can give your peaches a more complex flavor with aromatic floral notes.

Making your own canned peaches might seem daunting, and you definitely need to do your research before you begin. Start by buying fresh yellow freestone peaches at the height of the season, which is between late March and early September, depending on where you live. Next, take care when choosing from popular grape juice brands in the store. Opting for an inexpensive store brand may affect the quality and taste of your peaches, especially if the juice contains dye, unnatural flavoring, or corn syrup. An all-natural, organic grape juice will offer the best flavor. You also need to make sure you're buying jars specifically designed for home canning, like ones from Ball, Kerr, or Weck.

Once you have your supplies, score the bottom of each peach and boil them for 30 to 60 seconds. Rapidly cool them in an ice bath before peeling, then cut each peach in half and remove the pits. Put about four or five halves in each jar, then fill the jars with white grape juice, leaving an inch of space at the top. One of the biggest mistakes to avoid when canning your own food is to seal the lid too tightly, so hand-tighten the lids just until they catch.

Put the jars in a stockpot of boiling water for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the jar and your elevation. When done, let the jars cool for 12 hours and then store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Keep in mind that while homemade canned peaches typically last between 12 and 18 months, using white grape juice could shorten their shelf life to about six to 12 months.