Picked up too many ripe peaches at the farmers market? Use them to make your own peach butter.
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What Is Peach Butter?
Peach butter is a fruit butter made by cooking fresh peaches on the stovetop (or in a slow cooker) until they reach a thick, spreadable consistency. Unlike jam, peach butter is lower in sugar (some recipes omit the sugar entirely) and darker in color. It’s not as famous as apple butter, but peach butter is a good use for lots of peaches, since they cook down into a concentrated spread.
5 Ways to Use Peach Butter
Peach butter provides an easy way to add peach flavor to almost anything. Try peach butter:
- 1. On a ham sandwich: Peaches and ham are a perfect combination, and fruit butter is an ideal sandwich spread since it’s not too sweet.
- 2. With pork chops: Next time you serve pork chops, swap the standard apple sauce for a dollop of peach butter.
- 3. With a cheese plate: Peach butter pairs especially well with sharp cheddar.
- 4. Swirled into ice cream: Jazz up plain vanilla ice cream with a swirl of summer peach flavor.
- 5. With brown rice porridge: Most fruit butters are delicious swirled into hot cereals, but peach butter is especially great with brown rice porridge.
Homemade Peach Butter Recipe
makes
2 cupsprep time
15 mintotal time
2 hr 45 mincook time
2 hr 30 minIngredients
- 1
For peach butter with a uniform consistency, remove the skins by blanching peaches in a large pot of boiling water. For more color and flavor, wash peaches and leave the skins on.
- 2
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or other wide, shallow pan over high heat, combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla with enough water to just cover.
- 3
Wrap the spices (including the empty vanilla bean pod) in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the peach mixture. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a lively simmer. Simmer until the peaches are very soft, about 30 minutes.
- 4
Remove spice sachet and pass peaches through a food mill into a bowl. If you don’t have a food mill, you can use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the peaches.
- 5
Return peach purée to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching, until the mixture has reduced significantly and is very thick and glossy, about 2 hours.
- 6
To test doneness, remove a spoonful of peach butter and let rest at room temperature, away from the steam, for 2 minutes. If the butter remains mounded on the spoon, it’s ready. Alternatively, spoon a little peach butter onto a chilled plate. If liquid runs off the peach butter, it needs more time.
- 7
When peach butter has reached the desired consistency, season with a pinch of salt. Spoon into canning jars and let cool to room temperature. Peach butter will keep, refrigerated, about 3 weeks. To extend the shelf life of peach butter, you can use the hot water bath process to can your peach butter, or store peach butter in the freezer.
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