1. Fill your pressure canner with two inches of water and set it to low heat.
2. Sterilize the canning jars by washing them in boiling water and dish soap or using the sterilize cycle on your dishwasher.
3. Clean the canning lids and bands with warm soapy water.
4. Warm up the jars by placing them in the canner.
5. Put sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, making a medium syrup.
6. Nectarines are not dipped in hot water like peaches. If you peel them, place them in an ascorbic acid solution to prevent darkening.
7. Hot pack – place drained fruit in syrup, water, or juice into a large saucepan. Alternatively, you can use boiling apple juice or white grape juice instead of syrup. Bring the liquid to a boil. Use a ladle to add the mixture to the jars. Leave a ½-inch headspace and place halves in layers, cut side down.
8. Raw pack – fill jars with the raw fruit, cut side down. Add hot water, juice, or syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace. Raw packs often yield a less desirable outcome due to floating fruit.
9. Remove air bubbles with a soft kitchen instrument and adjust the headspace if needed.
10. Wipe the jar rims, place the lids on, and screw the bands down until fingertip tight.
11. Submerge the jars in the boiling water canner, ensuring they are fully covered with water. Bring the water to a boil and process per altitude. Raw packs require 5 minutes more per each altitude level than hot packs.

Water Bath Canning Process Times per Altitude

• 0 – 1,000 ft: Pint jars 20 minutes; quart jars 25 minutes
• 1,001 – 3,000ft: Pint jars 25 minutes; quart jars 30 minutes
• 3,001 – 6,000ft: Pint jars 30 minutes; quart jars 35 minutes
• Above 6,001ft: Pint jars 35 minutes; quart jars 40 minutes

Post Processing

1. Turn off the heat after the processing time and remove the canner lid. The jars should sit in the canner for 5 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer the jars to a clean towel or protected surface using tongs or a jar lifter. Leave them to cool for 12 to 24 hours.
3. Test the seals by gently pressing the center of the lids with your thumbs to check for proper sealing.