If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh peaches, set some aside to make this homemade peach butter recipe. You can opt to preserve this for the pantry, or simply store in the fridge for topping your breakfast toast, ice cream, or even just a spoon.
Try this recipe for making this no sugar added apple butter, too!
I love jams and jellies, but when a person is trying to cut back on sugar, fruit butters are often the answer! This peach butter is a lovely spread for your morning toast, without added sugar.
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Homemade Peach Butter
Making peach butter at home couldn’t be easier. With just a few ingredients, you can make up a batch to serve right away, or preserve it in jars for the pantry.
Ingredients
Fresh peaches — If you live in an area where peaches are grown, track down a farmer to purchase them directly and you’ll be rewarded with the most flavorful peaches you can imagine. (I’m particularly fond of O’Henry peaches.) You’ll peel the peaches to remove the fuzzy skin.
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Cinnamon — Adding a bit of cinnamon gives this peach butter a little bit of a peach pie flavor! You could also add spices like nutmeg or allspice if you like.
Lemon juice — This brightens the flavor of the butter and helps to acidify the mixture to make it safe for canning.
Making the peach butter
You’ll want to use peeled peaches for this recipe. Go here to learn more about peeling peaches. Essentially, you’ll blanch the peaches to loosen the skin and make it easy to remove.
Once peeled, chop the peaches (more on that here) and put them into a large saucepan or stockpot with water and cinnamon. The water will help to prevent scorching as you cook the peaches.
Cook the peaches until they’re completely soft, then mash them or use an immersion blender to puree them into a fine texture.
Continue cooking the fruit down until it reaches the desired consistency. Transfer the hot peach butter to jars and refrigerate, or proceed with the canning instructions to make the product shelf stable.
Use a slow cooker
If you don’t want to cook this peach butter recipe on the stove top, which requires a little bit of attention, you can certainly make it in a slow cooker. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for several hours before pureeing.
Once pureed, continue to cook on low with the lid tilted to allow moisture to escape. Check hourly until the peach puree reaches the desired consistency.
Kick it up
For something a little extra special, you can stir a quarter cup of bourbon into the peach mixture once it’s pureed.
Canning Jams and Butters
You’ll need specialcanning jars, lids, and rings(read more aboutcanning equipment here) to make this peach butter shelf-stable, but the process isn’t difficult.
Once the jars are filled, you’ll process them in a water bath. What this means is you’ll put the filled and sealed jars into boiling water and heat them for ten minutes. This assures that the jars will seal well.
Hot tip:Boil some extra water in a saucepan or electric kettle as you’re working. If you need to top off the water in the canner, you won’t cool down the water too much.
Remove the jars to a towel-covered countertop and allow to cool fully. As they cool, you’ll hear the little “tink” sound of the jars sealing. Store any unsealed jars in the fridge and use those first. (This is unusual, but it does happen once in awhile.)
🍅 Safety First!
Canning is an excellent way to preserve food for the pantry, but there are some important safety considerations to keep in mind. The recipes on this site have been made following safe canning procedures by a certified Master Food Preserver.
- Know the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. Low acid items must be pressure canned for safety.
- Altering ingredients may change the recipe’s pH, posing a safety issue. I highly recommend investing in pH paper to test your products for acidity level when canning. Note: For safe water bath canning, the Hawaii Master Food Preserverssuggest a pH of 4.2 or lower in the tropics. In other regions, the recommended pH is 4.6 or lower.
- Use the proper jars and lids. Never reuse lids, with the exception of the Tattler or Harvest Right hard plastic lids that are intended for such a purpose.
- For more on canning equipment, please go here.
- Want to learn more? The National Center for Home Food Preservation is the go-to resource for safe canning information.
Remove the ring from each sealed jar, rinse to remove any residue, and store (without the ring) in the pantry.
A jar of peach butter makes a great gift. Grab a FREE download of these cute printable canning labels— complete with a gentle reminder to return the jar!
Using peach butter
- Serve this delicious peach butter on toast, English muffins,homemade biscuits,pancakes, orwaffles.
- Stir it into homemade yogurt.
- Use it to add that summertime taste to your morning oatmeal.
Be sure to try these delicious peach preserves while the fruit is in season, too!
★Did you make this peach butter recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!★
Easy Homemade Peach Butter Recipe
Yield: 3 half pint jars
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Processing Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
If you're lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh peaches, set some aside to make a batch of peach butter. You can opt to preserve this for the pantry, or simply store in the fridge for topping your breakfast toast, pancakes, or ice cream.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh ripe peaches
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
PREPARE FOR CANNING
- Wash the jars you'll use, making sure each is clean and free of nicks in the rim, which could impede sealing.
- Wash the lids and rings in hot soapy water. (If you're using non-Ball brand lids, prepare as suggested by manufacturer.)
- Place empty jars in a canning pot or large stock pot with enough water to cover by an inch or two, cover pot, and set on high heat. It can take awhile for the water to heat, so get it started before you begin making the recipe.
MAKE THE PEACH BUTTER
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Use a knife to cut an X on the bottom of each peach.
- Ease peaches into the boiling water and heat for 60 seconds.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches into a bowl of ice water for 60 seconds, then remove to an empty bowl. Repeat with remaining peaches.
- Slip the skins from the peaches. Read more detailed instructions on blanching and peeling peaches here.
- Remove the cooking pot from the heat and dump out the water.
- Cut each peach in half, remove pit, and cut each half into 6-8 pieces. Place chopped peaches into pot.
- Add 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, and cinnamon to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally.
- Using an immersion blender, puree peach mixture until smooth. Alternatively, use a potato masher to smash the cooked fruit.
- Continue to cook on medium low for about 35-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches the desired thickness. The peach butter will thicken more as it cools.
- Transfer into jars and store in refrigerator or proceed with the canning process outlined below.
CANNING
- Remove empty jars from canner, draining water back into pot.
- Ladle hot jam into half-pint, pint, or quart sized jars, leaving 1/4" head space. A canning funnel makes this easy.
- Wipe jar rims to remove any residue that may have spilled. A clean rim is essential to a good seal.
- Set jar lids in place. Screw bands on finger tight.
- Use a jar lifter to gently submerge jars into hot water in the canning pot. Water should cover the top of the jars by an inch. The water will cool somewhat in reaction to the addition of the jars. Return the water to a simmer and then set the timer.
- Process pints, half-pints, or quart jars for 15 minutes 0-1,000 feet altitude, 20 minutes for elevations between 1,001-6,000', or 25 minutes for over 6,000'.
- Remove jars from water using the jar lifter and transfer to a solid, towel-covered surface. Allow to cool for 24 hours.
- Check seals. Lids should be solid and pulled down tight. (if they flex and pop, the jar didn’t seal; put unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use those first).
- Remove rings and wash outsides of jars. Store in a cool, dry place.
Notes
If you prefer a sweeter peach butter, you can add up to a cup of sugar to this recipe. If you have an abundance of peaches, you can double or triple this recipe.
Processing time is based on this information from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
This recipe tested in the range of 3.5-4.0 pH.
Boiling lids or heating above 180°F as once recommended can damage the sealing compound.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 46Unsaturated Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 11gSugar: 10g
Do you have questions about home canning? First time canner? Check out this list of 101 frequently asked canning questions!
This post was originally published in May 2015; it has been updated.
About the author:Loriel is on a journey to a more natural life and hopes to inspire those around her by writing about her stories on her blog Naturally Loriel. She lives an abundant life with her husband Scott, toddler Andrew, a crazy little Lilly cat and a flock of 8 chickens. She’s a dreamer of self-sufficiency, a lover of all things sweet, and has a knack for story-telling.
