If they have fermented - and it sounds like they have given all the delays and interim heating - then canning them as peaches should be avoided. Per NCHFP:

Fruit products may ferment because of yeast growth. This can occur if the product is improperly processed and sealed, or if the sugar content is low. Fermented fruit products have a disagreeable taste. Discard them.

Consider instead one of the preserves or jam recipes that includes flavored liqueurs in the recipe - Brandied Peach Preserves comes to mind - to compensate for the taste.

Ambrosia - another old recipe for a fermented mixed fruit topping is another.

Dave

Nope, I sure wouldn't can them. Even if it's safe, they wouldn't taste good, I wouldn't think.

I think Dave has a good idea, maybe try them in a jam recipe or you could use them in a Rumtopf, an old fashioned rum pot with various fruits and rum.

Annie

Dave, how do I make the Brandied Peach Preserves or the Ambrosia? I HATE that I wasted all those beautiful peaches and all the money ($1.00 Farmer's market organic peaches). Thanks for your help.

ksrogers - thanks for info about frig temp - never even occurred to me. No, I don't peel first, and I can only the peaches, no sugar, etc. Henceforth, I'll freeze if there needs to be a delay.

Manuela

May I also recommend making peach salsa?? It's incredibly delicious and even more delicious when eaten with those lime flavored tortilla chips. I can imagine how sick you're feeling right now and really hope you're able to try a couple new recipes. Another recipe I wanted to try this year was the Peach BBQ Sauce. It sounds delicious. Maybe that would work as well?

Sorry, they are spoiled. I would toss them. I can see purposely fermenting them, but this sounds like spoilage.

What is Fermented Fruit?
Fermented Fruit, or Rumtopf, is fruit preserved in a sweet alcoholic syrup. There are two different ways to produce the syrup:
Fermented Fruit: The syrup is produced by adding yeast to sugar. The yeast converts sugar to alcohol, producing carbon dioxide gas as a byproduct (producing alcohol by fermentation).
Rumpot (or Rumtopf): The syrup is produced by adding sugar to wine, rum, brandy, or other alcohol (known as fortification).

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We have been having a discussion about this very thing. Keeping foods too long past safe storage times and then trying to can them.
Still waiting to hear from Elizabeth Andress, but I feel this is not safe, not even without visible signs of spoilage. I will post what she says when I hear from her.

Most commercial canned peaches are peeled first. Thats where most of the wild yeast is and where you would get very fast fermentation. If they had been dipped in boiling water, the into ice water, and skins removed, they would not be as prone to fermenting so quickly. On the other hand apricots seem to be fine if not peeled.

I'm assuming the little bubbling action is fermentation, right? What is the difference between that and spoilage? I had them in a large stainless steel pot in the frig. Is there NOTHING I can do with them, save making the worms very very happy?
Thanks for all your help.

Bubbles can be spoilage too. After a while fermentaton either stops, blows off the lid, or shatters the jars, or can become toxic inside. Boil them well before you can them. You can also add some acid to help prevent bad things from happening. Citric is good, and that mixed with ascorbic acid to reduce browning will help. Taste the stuff now, and see if it seems a bit 'boozy'. If so, it can be boiled to drive off any alcohol. You will probably be better off making a jam out of it with lots of sugar. Also, Clear Jel can be used and you can make peach pie filling to be canned for frozen

How about making a lot of pies or cobbler and freezing them. I too would hate to have to throw it away. But I did practically the same thing with beets. I prepped them and put them in a bowl in the fridge and forgot them until 2 days later when they had already developed a slime layer...needless to say I didn't can those beets. The worms enjoyed them though. And I learned always prep and can the same day.
Karen

How about making some peach wine? I'm not sure how you'd go about it, but it seems to make sense since the fermentation process has already started!
Amy

Beacuse its fermentation is naturally occuring from wild yeast that sticks to the skins, the ferment may turn to vinegar very quickly. Most wines are made with an added yeast culture specifically bred for making wines. Many wine yeasts are also resistant to sulfur, which is used to prevent other kinds of fermentaton and spoilage during the process.