You may remember that I picked 20 pounds of peaches last weekend. Yes, it may have been a bit excessive on my part, but deep down, I enjoy a bit of excessiveness in the kitchen… Especially when it comes to fresh, local produce! I knew that if I picked 20 pounds of peaches, I would be forced to use 20 pounds of peaches, and I was up for the challenge.
As we hauled our peaches out of the orchard, my mom and I were discussing what we would be doing with them (although she showed more restraint than I did and had less than 15 pounds)… She mentioned making peach butter, and I was immediately intrigued. When we got home from her house, we checked her copy of Rodale’s Stocking Up to see what the “rules” for canning peaches were. The book indicated that up to 1/2 cup of honey could be added for each quart of peaches and that they should be processed for 20 minutes for half-pint or pint-sized jars. Easy enough, right?
So, when I got home, I quickly got to work peeling and dicing my peaches to make some spiced peach butter. I used a bit less honey than was allowed because I didn’t want it to be too sweet. With fresh ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, my kitchen (and most of my house) smelled absolutely amazing as the peach butter simmered away in my slow cooker. I was planning to give my jars of peach butter away as gifts, but I might have to keep a few for myself. I know it will be amazing with a slice of pumpkin bread later this fall, and I can’t wait!
Spiced Peach Butter
Yields 8 half-pint jars
- 12 cups peaches, peeled and diced
- 1 cup honey
- 6 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker (crock pot). Cook on low heat for about 12 hours. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Cook for an additional hour or two, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. (You may want to remove the lid on your slow cooker for a little while to let some of the steam escape and give the peach butter a chance to thicken up just a bit.)
Ladle the peach butter into hot, sterilized jars (half-pint jars worked well for me). Wipe the rims and then fit with sterilized lids and bands. Process for 20 minutes, once the water has come up to a boil.
I am always in awe of what you have canned, but this takes the cake! And speaking of… I think I’d like to eat this ON cake.
Oh my word – I can only imagine what your house smelled like. This sounds amazing! :)
Haha, I’m posting my peach butter on Saturday…we’re totally on the same wavelength! Yours looks amazing and I agree it’s so much fun to figure out to do with a ton of fresh fruit! :-)
Hey Jen — I’d love for you to post this on Punk Domestics. Pretty please? It’s good stuff. I adore fruit butters.
Oh my goodness, that looks (and I bet smells) amazing. What a treat!
That looks really good!Have to try soon:)
I love this recipe Jen! I can’t wait to make a batch! thanks!
WOW – this seriously looks amazing. I’m imagining all the different ways I wuld enjoy it if I had a jar in front of me right now.
Oooooh – that sounds soooooo good! I bet it would be incredible on some homemade biscuits…
I have really wanted to start canning some yummy things and you have completely motivated me with this post! Yum, it looks amazing. Thanks for the tips!
Oh my…just…oh my. That looks amazing! I LOVE the addition of ginger, yum! I hope peaches are on sale again soon because I need to make this!
Well… first of all, how selfish of you to want to keep any of this for yourself….LOL
What a wonderful and delicious way to use peaches!
I love that you use honey and not sugar. I can almost smell this cooking! Delicious!
Brilliant! We just went peach-picking yesterday and I thought I had picked a lot (7lbs), but you obviously outdid me ;) This sounds delicious, so now I am torn…traditional jam, or spiced peach butter???
My advice? Don’t give too many away! I made apple butter last year (about 20lbs worth) and it is already all gone! I can’t wait for apple season now! This looks terrific though…I can just imagine the awesome smell wafting out of your kitchen!
OMG, this sounds decadently yummy! Thanks for all your canning expertise!!!
That looks great. It is very similar to apple butter.
I bet your house *did* smell amazing! And I bet this TASTES even better! I’m a little jealous of your stash!
I sooooooo need to go to the woods and relax for few days. But I don’t know if I would be able to live cell and computer behind. LOL. I love this adea of peach butter. It must be so yummy, specially because it’s spicy. Have a great weekend jen . :-)
Do you think this butter would freeze well too? Unfortunately I rent and my kitchen is an electric range PLUS I live over 5,000 ft above sea level, so a boiling method to can just would not work out. Looks amazing!
KBills – Yes, I think it would work to freeze the peach butter. I would try to use it within 4-6 months, though.
Oh – I have been wanting to try making fruit butter but don’t have any canning equipment. When you say “process”, what do you mean? (dumb question, sorry!)
Mardi – “Processing” just refers to submerging the jar in boiling water, which (I believe) kills any bacteria in the food and also seals the jars. The processing time (i.e. time in the boiling water) changes based on the size of the jars and the ingredients in the recipe, which is why it’s important to use tested recipes and not vary too much.
Have a batch cooking now!
Wow, looks fantastic. I picked a whole lot of peaches today and I’m going to make this tomorrow. I’m not very good at canning, so think I’ll freeze it.
I made it and it is wonderful! Absolutely fantastic. I’m putting this recipe into my files so I can make it every year. The first batch I made I froze. Now I’m finishing up a second batch that I’m canning.
Thank you so much! This was the only recipe I could find that didn’t require a food mill. I bought a bushel of peach seconds from our orchard today and this is already in the Crock Pot to cook overnight. :)
My bff, Barbie, and I made this peach butter yesterday, and finished up today. It is amazing. We had never made, or tasted, peach butter before and, are pleasantly surprised. Glad we found the recipe. Thanks.