Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce for Canning
This Peach BBQ Sauce is a delicious way to preserve your peaches. It has a sweetness from the peaches and a mellow note from the bourbon.

I love making my own BBQ Sauce! It is so easy and so much tastier than store bought!
As with jams and salsas, I love experimenting with new BBQ sauces! In the summer and fall, I have so many fresh ingredients to use up!
I don’t like the way peaches freeze. Having tried to freeze peaches on many occasions, with lots of different methods, I give up! They always brown. No matter what I do! Brown peaches are just not appetizing to me!
So to preserve peaches, which I have an abundance of, I make jam, different salsas, pie filling and lots of BBQ sauce! All of the fruits I grow are organic. No fertilizers, herbicides or fungicides, so I feel like I am doing my family a great service, making delicious foods with them!

I’ve made peach BBQ for many years but adding bourbon really adds to the flavor.
What you need
- peaches – use fresh, ripe peaches for the best flavor. Although, you can certainly use frozen peaches or even frozen peach purée.
- onion – use white or yellow onion
- bell pepper- for best results use red, orange or yellow. Green peppers will give the sauce a weird flavor.
- garlic – fresh is best but you can substitute granulated or garlic powdered if you don’t have fresh.
- brown sugar – light and dark brown sugar are both good.
- vinegar – apple cider vinegar is preferred.
- bourbon – any bourbon you have on hand will work.
- Worcestershire sauce
- cumin or adobo seasoning that contains cumin – store bought or homemade.
- dry mustard
- salt – just a bit to counteract the sweetness of the peaches.

Peach BBQ Sauce is something I have made many times. It was one of my first posts in 2014! We really love it! It really pairs nicely with chicken and pork!
How to make peach bourbon BBQ sauce
- Mix vinegar, bourbon, brown sugar, and spices in a large saucepan.
- Wash, peel and cut peaches into chunks. They don’t have to be uniform. (Blanch them for 1 minute if you have a variety that is hard to peel). Add to vinegar mixture as you go so that they don’t brown.
- Rough chop vegetables and garlic.
- Add to the pot with the peaches and vinegar.
- Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to a high simmer. Simmer for at least 2 hours to thicken and develop flavors.
- Use an immersion blender to make the sauce smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, place batches in a stand blender or food processor. Be careful not to burn yourself!) If it is not quite thick enough to your liking, reduce heat to low and cook it down to desired existence.

How to can the sauce
If you would like to can this sauce, Wash jars and lids. Heat jars so that they are not cold. Get water bath canning pot heating. This can take up to one hour.
- Ladle hot BBQ sauce into hot jars.
- Remove any air bubbles with a chopstick or similar tool.
- Wipe rims with damp towel to clean any debris.
- Center lids on jars.
- Attach band and tighten fingertip tight.

Process jars in boiling water bath canning pot for 15 minutes for pints. After processing remove from heat. Allow jars to sit in the hot water for at least 5 minutes before removing them to a kitchen towel placed on the counter.
After 12 to 24 hours, check the jars to make sure that they are sealed. Press the lid in the center. If it flexes the jar has not sealed and should be refrigerated used up first.

How to use this sauce
This peach bourbon BBQ sauce is delicious on chicken and pork.
Want to learn how to grow your own peaches? If you love growing your own produce, these articles are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss How to Start a Garden Series! The first part is Planning Your Garden!
Second is Preparing the Garden Site. The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance, and the last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this post has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups chopped bell peppers, any color
- 2 cups chopped Onion
- 1/4 cup garlic, chopped
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Wild Turkey Honey
- 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoons dry adobo seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Wash jars and lids. Warm jars. I use the water bath canning pot, since that is on anyway. Let them sit in hot water until ready to use.
- Heat bands and lids in simmering water. Do not boil. Let them sit in hot water until ready to use.
- Mix vinegar, bourbon, brown sugar, and spices in a large saucepan.2 cups cider vinegar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup Wild Turkey Honey, 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce, 1 tablespoons dry adobo seasoning, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Wash, peel and cut peaches into chunks. They don’t have to be uniform. (Blanch them for 1 minute if you have a variety that is hard to peel). Add to vinegar mixture as you go so that they don’t brown.12 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
- Rough chop vegetables and garlic.2 cups chopped bell peppers, any color, 2 cups chopped Onion, 1/4 cup garlic, chopped
- Add to the pot with the peaches and vinegar.
- Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to a high simmer. Simmer for at least 2 hours to thicken and develop flavors.
- Use an immersion blender to make the sauce smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, place batches in a stand blender or food processor. Be careful not to burn yourself!) If it is not quite thick enough to your liking, reduce heat to low and cook it down to desired consistency.
To can sauce
- Fill hot jars leaving a half inch of head space. Wipe rims with a damp paper towel. Cover with hot lids and tighten bands fingertip tight.
- Process the jars of sauce in a hot water bath canner, for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude, see below). Allow them to sit in the canning pot for 5 additional minutes. Remove jars and let them cool. Check lids to make sure they have sealed. (If they don’t pop when pressed in the middle of the lid, they are sealed). Any that don’t seal should be refrigerated and used first.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi there. I plan to use this recipe. I’m in Nova Scotia and have a beautiful bushel of peaches. I am new to working with peaches. I have two questions. 1/ I’m trying to limit sugar could I use a brown sugar substitute such as Splenda brown sugar or even my monk fruit/eurythitol blend from Costco? 2/ I’ve been told to freeze my peaches whole then when they partially thaw peeling the skins is super easy. Has anyone tried that?
Thank you
I can’t speak to the sugar substitute, as I have never used it. There is no reason that it would not be safe to can. So from a safety standpoint, you would be fine. I’m sure if you are used to the flavor of those sugar substitutes, and like it, there is no reason it wouldn’t taste good to you either. Peeling would definitely be easy if you froze the peaches whole. It wouldn’t affect the flavor or safety of the sauce for canning either.
Just made this and it is AMAZING!! Added a pinch of jalapeno powder to add a little heat. The smell when you are cooking it down is to die for!! Grilling some pork tonight and I can hardly wait to try this on it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
We’re so glad that you like it! It’s one of favorites. Especially with pork or chicken! Thank you!
this can be waterbathed, correct?
Yes. There are instructions in the article and in the recipe card. Did you see them?
Made this today, very disappointed in the taste, tossed it out, a waste of 12 cups peaches, and other ingredients plus my time.
I’m surprised to hear that. This is one of our most popular BBQ sauce recipes!
I made but it’s a bit thick. What should I use to thin a bit. Flavor is good. I didn’t have Adobe but I used Chipotle instead.
Chipotle will work fine. To thin it, just add a bit of water or even peach, apple or white grape juice. Next time, don’t cook it down as much. It thickens as it processes in the canning pot.
I made this sauce last season and it really is amazing. I have since been in to Safe canning recipes, only. Is this sauce based on a tested ‘safe’ recipe? ( PLEASE say yes…)
I will most likely make it anyway, I just need to know .lol
Yes, it is Jackie. All of recipes are based on current safe practices. This recipe is based on a recipe that both Ball and Bernardin have on their sites.
Made this today with only 2 slight changes – added some crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of ground ginger. Such great flavor! Can’t wait to use this for ribs and chicken. Thanks so much!
Those sound like good additions! I love ginger and a bit of heat! Thanks Sarah.
The picture of ingredients shows cumin but list says adobo seasoning. Which do I use?? I want to make this today
You can use either. If I don’t have cumin, I use adobo seasoning that contains cumin.
I too have a lot of peaches. all of mine are already canned in a light syrup. can I use them to make the BBQ sauce?
Leave out the brown sugar and then try it. The sauce may be sweeter than you might like, but it will work.