Peach Butter

Mysterygirl's Note:

This is the recipe that I've been using for years and years. I love peach butter because the flavor is so light and yummy. I buy the seconds at the orchard because I don't care what they look like - they're going to be smushed anyways and they're cheaper. Save the pretty ones for canned peach halves.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 4 pints

• 4 -4 ½ lbs peaches
• ½ cup water
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 -2 tablespoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash peaches, remove seeds and any bad spots- DO NOT PEEL!
2. Chop peaches.
3. Put peaches in pot with water.
4. Cook peaches over medium, simmer until peaches are soft, about 15- 20 minutes depending up on the ripeness of your fruit.
5. Run the peaches through a food mill till all that is left in the mill are the peach skins which you can discard now.
6. You should have about 2 quarts of peach pulp.
7. Mix pulp with sugar and cinnamon.
8. Cook over medium heat until thick enough to round up on a spoon about 30 minutes to an hour (this may also be done in a slow- 250 degree oven but it takes longer).
9. You will need to stir frequently, making sure that it doesn't stick.
10. Place in hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.
11. Adjust lid and rings on jars.
12. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
13. Remove to counter and allow to cool.

Reviews

[zaar junkie]

Good stuff. I barely used 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and glad I was conservative on this. Very cinnamony, tastes kind of like apple butter. After the initial cook, I cooked mine for 45 minutes and that seemed to work well. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for posting.

[Chef #1358071]

Super yummy! This turned out great and was SO easy to make!

[Chef #584988]

It seems like a simple and yummy recipe, but I ended up cooking it too long (trying to get to the "round up on a spoon" stage) and now it's so thick one needs a knife to cut it. My only other question is roughly how many peaches are in 4 1/2 lbs?