Monday, August 9, 2010

Just Peachy

It was a toss-up between Peach Salsa, Peach & Pepper Relish, Lavender-Peach Jam, or Peach Butter.  After being tantalized by the smell of ripe peach juice all over my fingers while peeling and pitting, I went for the instant gratification (in the canning world anyway) of Peach Butter.  Spiced.  Delicious on scones, english muffins, or any other form of baked goodness.



PEACH BUTTER
~Courtesy of Ball Blue Book~


4 - 4.5 lb. peaches (about 18 med.)
4 C sugar
Optional: spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg; up to 1 tsp in total.

Wash, peel, and pit peaches.  Combine peaches and 1/2 C water in a large saucepot.  Simmer until peaches are soft.  Puree using a food processor food mill, being careful not to liquify.  (I used my trusty immersion blender.)

Measure out 2 quarts of pulp (being the rebel that I am, I skipped this step); return to saucepan and add sugar and spices if using.  Cook until thick enough to round up on a spoon.  Stir frequently as mixture thickens to avoid sticking.  Ladle hot butter into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles, wipe rim, and cap.  Process 10 minutes in boiling water canner.  Savor at a later date.




7 comments:

Erin said...

Yum, you have been busy!

Thomas said...

Ohhh...maybe I should try this! Approximately how long did it take to get to the consistency you were looking for?

Anonymous said...

This recipe sounds very delicious! Too bad we don't have any peaches. I have the same question as Thomas - how long did you cook it?

meemsnyc said...

Yum, yum. Why do they call this peach butter if there is no butter? Is like spreadable like butter?

Kelly said...

I cooked it down for quite a while, but not 4-5 hours as some recipes call for. This is like applesauce in consistency. Maybe an hour & a half of reducing??

meems- not sure why they call it butter. This stuff is not as thick as say, pumpkin butter. Maybe because you spread it on breads instead of butter??

Dani said...

I soooo wish we could grow good peaches here in Florida. They're one of my summer faves.

thyme2garden said...

If I got to choose, peach butter would've been a close second to lavender-peach jam! It all sounds so good.