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Peach Butter

Photo Credit
Rimma Bondarenko/shutterstock
Yield
about 6 cups (3 pints)
Category
Fruit
Pickles and Preserves
Course
Side Dishes
Preparation Method
Boil
Sources
Yankee Magazine's Lost and Vintage Recipes

Nothing captures the essence of late summer more than this sweet-tart peach butter. Easily made in a slow cooker, this will quickly become one of your go-to peach preservation techniques. The fresh peaches cook down to a silky brown purée—tasting only of sunshine and nectar.

You may be familiar with this recipe’s better-known cousin, apple butter, which is all well and good. But here’s the truth of the matter: peach butter may just be even better.

Ingredients
8 pounds fresh, ripe peaches
2-2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Instructions

  1. Using a sharp knife, score each peach with a shallow X shape on the bottom. Fill a large pot (at least 5 quarts) with water and bring to a boil over high heat. 
  2. Add peaches and boil until skins loosen, about 1 minute. Remove peaches from the water with a slotted spoon and run under cold water to stop cooking. The peaches should now slip easily out of their skins. Discard skins.
  3. Using a knife or your hands, break peaches up into large pieces and put them in a 6-quart slow cooker. 
  4. Add sugar, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and salt and stir. 
  5. Set heat to high and cover; cook until mixture is simmering, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Reduce heat to low and leave the lid slightly ajar. 
  6. Cook until peach butter is thick and mahogany-colored, 7 to 9 hours. 
  7. Pour into sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

About The Author
Janet Selle

Janet Selle

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Comments

<span>Mary Rose</span> Sun, 09/04/2022 - 20:54
I just finished making this tonight and wanted to add a couple things-first it makes 12 cups not 6! And when you are about 7 hours in, use a stick blender to break up the chunks of peaches. Otherwise, I followed directions and now have a lot of peach butter to give away!
<span>Deeda C</span> Wed, 09/02/2015 - 13:08
I have made peach butter many times throughout my life, and have always stored the jars in the pantry. Occasionally one will spoil, and I attribute that to my own carelessness ! ( Perhaps not wiping the rim well enough before processing . . . or what ever else my 'oops' was. ) Once you open the jar, refrigerate, like you would any other fruit butter. I prefer peach butter to any other kind, though apricot is a close second ! It's a long slow process, but well worth the effort ! Good luck !
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 09/02/2015 - 14:33

Thanks for posting this, Deeda. Our mouths are watering thinking about apricot butter. Yum.

 <span>Maria Iasimone</span> Thu, 10/03/2013 - 13:23
How does peach butter get stored? Can it be shelved or must it be kept in refrigerator?i find it quite surprising that one usually doesn't see storing/shelving instructions following recipes.especially when it's fun to do,time consuming work,and a shame to see it all go to waste if stored improperly.