Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
- Brianne Thomas
- Oct 27, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
This BBQ sauce boasts a vibrant golden orange hue with flecks of red crushed peppers, making it visually appealing. It's zesty and sweet, perfect for spooning, pouring, dunking, or brushing onto your favorite grilled meat entrees!
Canning season is in full swing, my friends! After filling my pantry with jars of delicious Home-Canned Peach Butter, I was eager to tackle the next item on my canning agenda: a homemade barbecue sauce. But this wasn’t just any ordinary sauce; I had my heart set on creating a Zesty Peach BBQ sauce that would elevate my grilling game. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe, particularly with the Worcestershire sauce and the crushed red pepper flakes, to give it that perfect kick. Aside from those tweaks, I closely adhered to the instructions found in my trusty Ball Complete Book of Home Food Preserving, which has been my go-to guide for all things canning. The process was not only enjoyable but also filled my kitchen with the mouthwatering aroma of peaches and spices, making it a tasty way to spend an afternoon!
Why You’ll Love This Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
No Junk. Unlike store-bought sauces, you control the ingredients and the quality.
Easy. Whether you’re new to canning or a seasoned pro, this recipe is quick and easy once you get the peaches peeled.
Flavor. There is no store-bought Peach BBQ sauce in the world that measures up to homemade!
How To Serve Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
Serve this homemade BBQ sauce on top of your favorite grilled items like burgers, chicken, and pork chops. For best results, apply during the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Or try it over a beef or pork roast in a slow cooker!
Helpful Tips for Making Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
Peaches. Use peaches that are at their peak of freshness. Discard any damaged or bruised fruit.
Canner. Per Ball Canning, this recipe is safe for water bath canning.
Rings. When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight, your lids will buckle, which can result in an unsealed jar. If they aren’t tight enough, canning water can seep into the product and result in an unsealed jar.
Advertisement
How to Remove Peach Skins for Canning
Preserving peaches can seem like a daunting task because they require an important extra step.
To get the best-looking, best-tasting products, it is important to remove the peach skins. To do this means simply placing them into boiling water for approximately 60-90 seconds, then running them under cold water. The skins pretty much just slip right off.
How Long to Process Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
Process quarter-pint jars (8-ounce jars) in a water bath canner for 15 minutes plus additional time depending on your altitude.
Altitude Additional Processing Time
1,001- 3,000 5 minutes
3,001 – 6,000 10 minutes
6,001 – 8,000 15 minutes
8,001 – 10,000 20 minutes
How to Prepare for Canning
To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room-temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up.
Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner.
Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin ladling in the sauce.
How to Prepare a Water Bath Canner
If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar.
If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars.
To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack, you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing.
Advertisement
Canning and Home Food Preservation Resources
Yield: Approximately 8 (8 oz) half pints
Ingredients
6 cups finely chopped pitted peeled peaches (about 3 pounds or 9 medium)
1 cup finely chopped seeded red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 14 cloves)
1 ¼ cups raw, organic honey
¾ cup cider vinegar
3 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 teaspoon non-iodized salt such as Pink Himalayan
Directions
To a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, add 6 cups of finely chopped, pitted, and peeled peached, 1 cup finely chopped seeded red bell pepper, 1 cup finely chopped onion, 3 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic, 1 ¼ cup raw, organic honey, ¾ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder, and 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt.
Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin commercial barbecue sauce, about 25 minutes.
If desired, puree in batches in a food processor or use an immersion blender to help break down the peaches.
Ladle hot sauce into a hot jar, leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim with a clean paper towel and vinegar. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight.
Place jar in water bath canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
It's important that the water cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half pint jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Once your Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce has completed the 15 minutes in the canner, remove the lid from the canner completely. Allow the jars to rest in the pot for about 10 minutes or so. This will allow them to adjust to having the lid taken off the canner.
Carefully remove the jars from the canner using your canning jar lifter and place them on the prepared kitchen towel. Allow the jars to rest on the counter for 24 hours and listen for pops of the lids (my favorite part!).
Remove the rings from the jars and gently tap the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid did not seal properly, unfortunately. It happens! If it's just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use within a couple of weeks. If it is several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner.
If your jars are all sealed properly (YAY!), use a little vinegar or soap and warm water to wipe the outside of the jars before storing.
How to Store Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce
Label and store the jars in a dark, cool cabinet, basement, or cellar.
How Long Does Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce Last
Properly prepared and stored, home-canned items can last about 18 months. The integrity of the seal may begin to deteriorate after that.
If you enjoyed this Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce, share this recipe with someone who enjoys delicious, homemade food as much as you do!
Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank-you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!
Advertisement
