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Fruit Cocktail Home Canning Recipe
Say goodbye to store-bought fruit cocktail and hello to your new favorite fruit in the pantry! This homemade fruit cocktail home canning recipe combines peaches, pears, grapes, mangoes, cherries, and pineapple. It is lightly sweetened with syrup made with honey. Perfect for water bath canning, this recipe creates a shelf-stable fruit cocktail that’s versatile for desserts, snacks, and everyday enjoyment.
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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva®
Last updated: September 10, 2025
The Nostalgia of Fruit Cocktail
Fruit cocktail has been a pantry staple in households for decades, often found in store-bought aluminum cans swimming in heavy sugar-laden syrup. Sadly, in recent years, our beloved fruit cocktail of old now uses corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup as its sweetener base, often combined with sugar. What used to be a healthy fruit snack has now become a can full of unhealthy flavoring, eliminating the deliciousness of the fruit itself, drowned out by unhealthy, unnecessary additives.
This homemade fruit cocktail home canning recipe elevates the delicious classic by reducing the sugar load, swapping in honey for a more natural sweetness, and letting the true flavors of the fruit shine. Inspired by the timeless practice of combining orchard and tropical fruits, this recipe offers both nostalgia and freshness, perfect for family gatherings, desserts, or a quick treat straight from the jar.
Inspired by my friend and food photographer, Jeff Hage, this fruit cocktail home canning recipe can be incorporated into your annual canning calendar using local seasonal fruits. Have fun experimenting with different fruits to provide you with a fruit cocktail you know your family will love. Additions such as apples, apricots or plums, or whichever high-acid fruit is in season. For recipes on how to use your home canned fruit cocktail, be sure to pick up a copy of Canning Full Circle cookbook.
High-Acid Fruit Substitutions
While this fruit cocktail home canning recipe calls for peaches, pears, grapes, mangoes, cherries, and pineapple, you’re not limited to just those fruits. Because this recipe is preserved in a boiling water bath canner, it’s important to stick with high-acid fruits to ensure safety and proper preservation.
The good news is many high-acid fruits can be substituted, allowing you to customize the flavors and colors of your jars while keeping the recipe safe and delicious.
Keep in mind that texture matters as much as acidity. For example, softer berries (strawberries, raspberries) may break down more during processing, while firmer fruits (apples, pears, plums) will hold shape better. Using a balance of both textures creates a more visually appealing and flavorful fruit cocktail home canning recipe.
- Apples – peeled, cored, and chopped
- Apricots – halved or sliced
- Blueberries – whole, fresh or frozen
- Cherries – sweet or tart, pitted
- Cranberries – fresh or frozen, whole
- Grapes – seedless, red or green
- Kiwi – peeled and sliced (adds tangy brightness)
- Nectarines – pitted and chopped
- Oranges – peeled, segmented, membranes removed
- Peaches – peeled and chopped
- Pears – peeled and chopped
- Pineapple – fresh, peeled, cored, chopped
- Plums – pitted, chopped or sliced
- Raspberries – whole berries
- Strawberries – hulled and halved
Fun Ways to Use Home-Canned Fruit Cocktail
- Classic & Refreshing: Drain and spoon over cottage cheese or Greek yogurt for a protein-packed breakfast or snack.
- Dessert Shortcut: Bake a quick fruit cocktail cake (see my recipe in Canning Full Circle) or fold into muffin batter for bursts of sweetness.
- Ice Cream Topping: Warm slightly and drizzle over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
- Party Favorite: Mix into gelatin desserts or trifle layers for color and texture.
- Smoothie Booster: Blend with banana and orange juice for an instant tropical smoothie.
- Savory Twist: Add drained fruit cocktail to chicken salad, tuna salad, or even grain bowls for a sweet-and-savory balance.
- Quick Parfaits: Layer with granola and whipped cream for an easy dessert parfait.
Fruit Cocktail Home Canning Recipe
Bring a burst of color and flavor to your pantry with this fruit cocktail home canning recipe. A medley of seasonal fruits is gently simmered in a light honey syrup, then preserved to capture their freshness. Perfect for topping cottage cheese, folding into baked goods, or enjoying as a quick snack, this recipe turns simple fruit into a versatile staple you’ll reach for all year long.
Makes approx. 7 quarts, 14 pints, or 28 half-pints
Ingredients
- ½ cup bottled lemon juice with 4 cups water
- 3 pounds peaches (12 medium), peeled and chopped (9 cups)
- 2 pounds pears (8 medium), peeled and chopped (4 cups)
- 4 cups water
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 2 pounds green seedless grapes (4 cups)
- 2 mangoes (12 ounces each), peeled and chopped (2 cups)
- 1 pound cherries, fresh or frozen, whole or halved (3 cups)
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped (4 cups)
Instructions
- In a non-reactive bowl, mix the bottled lemon juice and water to create a citric acid bath. As you peel and cut peaches and pears, place them in the bath to prevent browning. Drain before using.
- In a large stockpot, combine 4 cups water, sugar, and honey. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved.
- Add peaches, pears, grapes, mango, cherries, and pineapple to the syrup. Mix well and boil gently for 5 minutes.
- Using a funnel, ladle fruit into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Ladle syrup over fruit, adjusting to ½-inch headspace.
- Wipe jar rims with a clean cloth dipped in vinegar. Apply lids and rings, tightening to fingertip-tight.
- Place jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring each is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a full rolling boil. Process quarts for 25 minutes, pints and half-pints for 20 minutes. After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
Fruit Cocktail Home Canning Recipe
Servings
7 quarts, 14 pints or 28 half-pints
servingsPrep time
30
minutesBring a burst of color and flavor to your pantry with this fruit cocktail home canning recipe. A medley of seasonal fruits is gently simmered in a light honey syrup, then preserved to capture their freshness. Perfect for topping cottage cheese, folding into baked goods, or enjoying as a quick snack, this recipe turns simple fruit into a versatile staple you’ll reach for all year long.
Ingredients
½ cup bottled lemon juice with 4 cups water
3 pounds 3 peaches (12 medium), peeled and chopped (9 cups)
2 pounds 2 pears (8 medium), peeled and chopped (4 cups)
4 cups 4 water
2 2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup 1 honey
2 pounds 2 green seedless grapes (4 cups)
2 2 mangoes (12 ounces each), peeled and chopped (2 cups)
1 pound 1 cherries, fresh or frozen, whole or halved (3 cups)
1 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped (4 cups)
Instructions
- In a non-reactive bowl, mix the bottled lemon juice and water to create a citric acid bath. As you peel and cut peaches and pears, place them in the bath to prevent browning. Drain before using.
- In a large stockpot, combine 4 cups water, sugar, and honey. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved.
- Add peaches, pears, grapes, mango, cherries, and pineapple to the syrup. Mix well and boil gently for 5 minutes.
- Using a funnel, ladle fruit into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Ladle syrup over fruit, adjusting to ½-inch headspace.
- Wipe jar rims with a clean cloth dipped in vinegar. Apply lids and rings, tightening to fingertip-tight.
- Place jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring each is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a full rolling boil. Process quarts for 25 minutes, pints and half-pints for 20 minutes. After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
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People Often Ask
Q: Can I substitute other fruits in this recipe?
A: Yes! While peaches, pears, grapes, mangoes, cherries, and pineapple are traditional, you can experiment with other high-acid fruit to safely customize your fruit cocktail. See the list of safe fruit substitutions in the recipe above.
Q: Why do I soak peaches and pears in lemon juice water before canning?
A: The lemon juice bath is only used during prep to prevent peaches and pears from browning due to oxidation. Use this same citric acid bath when prepping apples, if you choose to add apples as a safe ingredient substitution.
Q: Do I have to use honey in the syrup?
A: No, honey simply adds a natural depth of sweetness. You can replace the honey with additional sugar, or adjust the sugar ratio for a lighter syrup to suit your taste. Agave sweetener, Splenda, and Stevia may also be used to create the syrup of your choice.
Q: Can I pressure can this fruit cocktail instead of water bath canning?
A: Yes, you may pressure can fruit cocktail, doing so gives the ability to double-stack jars to increase the processing yield. If you choose to use a pressure canner, process at 5 PSI for 10 minutes for pints and half-pints and 15 minutes for quarts. Adjust for your altitude if necessary. Here is a guide to Pressure Canning Fruit for reference.
About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.
