Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce (Water-Bath Canning Recipe)
This spicy peach sauce might just become your favorite BBQ sauce. It's tangy, sweet, and perfectly spiced and pairs well with all meats but especially lends itself to grilled and smoked pork and chicken. Try it as the sauce for a BBQ chicken or pulled pork pizza! This water-bath canning recipe is adapted from a tested recipe developed by Ball, with safe modifications. This can be canned in smaller jars but the processing time is not calculated for quarts.
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender substitute blender or food processor
- canning jars (6 pint or equiv. volume of smaller jars)
- canning funnel (optional but helpful for filling the jars)
- silicone or other heat-resistant spatula (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
- 8 lbs ripe yellow peaches (do not substitute white peaches- they are not acidic enough to safely can)
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 2 cups onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 tbsp salt or more to taste
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp coriander toasted and ground
- ½ tsp dried ginger ground
- ½ tsp allspice ground
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp citric acid or increase lemon juice to 3 tbsp
- 2 jalapenos stemmed, seeded, & minced (optional)
- 2 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper ground
Instructions
Peach BBQ Sauce:
- Cut peaches in half or quarters, remove skins and stones (if the skins don't slip off easily, blanch them in boiling water for a few seconds). Freestone peaches are easier to pit but clingstone are fine for this recipe, since they don't need to look pretty. Smaller pieces will cook faster and be easier to puree.
- Add all ingredients to a large, heavy bottomed pot and stir well. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the peaches and onions have softened (at least 20 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Break up the peaches with a potato masher, heavy whisk, or large ladle if you have larger pieces. Uncover pot and continue to simmer and stir until the mixture is reduced by about half.
- Remove pot from heat, and either puree the sauce with an immersion blender (recommended) or process it in batches in a blender or food processor. Be careful when blending hot sauces and use a towel or hot pad to protect yourself from spatter or to hold down the lid of the blender.
- Return the sauce to the pot (if you didn't use an immersion blender) and reduce more if necessary to reach a good consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Remove sauce from heat and either cool and freeze or immediately proceed to water-bath canning steps below (recommended)
Water-Bath Canning Instructions
- Fill your water bath canner with water to a height that will cover your jars by several inches with room to boil vigorously. Wash your jars and lids with hot soapy water, rinse, and place the jars (but not the lids) in the canner as you bring the water up to a simmer (do this while the bbq sauce is almost finished).
- Protect your work surface- I like to use a baking sheet pan lined with an old kitchen towel. Remove your canning jars from the canner (carefully, with tongs or jar lifters, tilting them out of the hot water) just before filling and place them on the sheet pan or counter lined with a towel- this helps protect them from temperature shocks and also makes for easier clean-up!
- Using a jar funnel if you have one, ladle the hot bbq sauce into the hot jars. Leave ½" of headspace at the top of the jars (slightly more if you are using reusable-style lids with gaskets like Weck or Tattler).
- Debubble the jars with a thin spatula, spoon, or debubbling tool, and wipe the tops of the jars with a clean paper towel or lint-free cloth that has been dipped in hot water or vinegar.
- Place the canning lids on the clean jar tops and screw down the rings- don't overtighten, just snug. Using your jar lifter, tongs, or the canning jar rack, carefully place the hot filled jars in the hot canner.
- Make sure you have adequate water covering the jars (at least 2" over the tops of the jars). Top up with water from a hot kettle if needed.
- Start the timer for your water bath after the water is at a rolling boil and all jars are in the canner. Process for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude if applicable) and then turn off the heat. Remove jars from the canner after 5 minutes, and place back on the towel-covered sheet pan or counter (put down a fresh towel if you spilled while filling the jars).
- Leave jars to cool slowly in a draft-free place. Do not touch rings until the jars are completely cool and sealed and do not stack jars.
- After jars are cooled and seals are set (I leave them overnight), check that all jars are sealed, carefully wash jars, label them, and remove rings before storing.
- Sealed jars with metal lids will not flex when the seal is pressed, and the lid has a firm vacuum seal with the jar. Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed within 24 hours with new lids (check the jar tops again for chips and the ring for dents), or immediately refrigerated and used first.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
