Ginger Peach Butter
an easy spread for biscuits, bagels, toast or mix-in for yogurt, oatmeal and smoothies; canning tips and printable labels
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When our local Eckert's peaches are in season every year I normally make a batch of peach jam. But this year I decided to make Peach Butter instead. It has the same vibe as jam but uses an old-fashioned method for preserving fruits that dates back hundreds of years.
Like my apple butter and blueberry butter recipes, peach butter doesn't contain any actual dairy butter at all. Its name comes from it being spreadable "like butter." This is a stove-top recipe that is super easy.
Can it. This is a big batch recipe that is suitable for water-process canning. I'll explain how. 9-10 pounds of peaches will yield 9-11 half-pint mason jars per batch.
It's versatile.
- Use it as a spread on toast, bagels, biscuits, pancakes or waffles.
- Stir it into oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies.
It's giftable! Jars of peach butter make great homemade gifts. Printable labels are provided further down in this post.
Step-by-step photos for making
Peach Butter
Step 1. Assemble the ingredients
- peaches -- I prefer fresh peaches, but you can also use frozen peaches if you want to make this when peaches are out of season. NOTE: white peaches are not recommended for safely canning this recipe because they are lower in acid than yellow peaches.
- sugar
- crystallized ginger
- zest from 1 lemon
- bottled lemon juice -- bottled juice is recommended over fresh juice for canning safety; the pH in fresh juice can vary
Step 2: Zest the lemon, finely chop the ginger, and coarsely chop the peaches. NOTE: It's not necessary to peel the peaches. The skins will disappear into the butter when it is blended. They also add a lovely color.
view on Amazon: Microplane zester
Step 3. Add the peaches, water, ginger, lemon zest & juice to a large (6 qt) Dutch oven pot and stir to combine. (The sugar is added later).
Step 4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook uncovered until peaches are tender and juices release (approx. 15 min.)
Step 5. Pulse the peach mixture, batches, in a food processor (or blender) until it's almost smooth; I like mine with a little bit of texture, but you can blend it to whatever smoothness you prefer. Transfer each batch to a large bowl.
Step 6. Return the peach puree to the Dutch oven and stir in the sugar. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the mixture thickens and darkens slightly.
Here is a visual of the thickness of the simmering sauce when it is ready:
Step 7. THICKNESS TEST. While the peach butter cooks, place 2-3 small plates in the freezer. When it appears thick enough, put a spoonful of the hot mixture on a chilled plate. and return it to the freezer for 2 minutes. Run your finger through the center of the mixture. If the gap runs back together quickly, it needs to cook longer. Continue cooking and test it again in 15 minutes. Repeat this until the gap on the plate runs together very slowly. Your peach butter is done!
When your butter passes the thickness test, lower the slow cooker temperature to warm and cover it while you prepare the canner and jars.
CANNING PEACH BUTTER (Water Processing)
- Adhere to canning safety guidelines. It's important to follow the jar preparation and processing recommended by the USDA. If you want more detailed canning information, I recommend the Ball website. They are the ultimate authority, and their site is loaded with detailed information and recipes suited for canning.
- For general canning tips, see my previous post,
For this recipe, I adapted one from the Ball website to ensure canning safety.
Below are the tools that I keep handy next to the peach butter. I put them on a plate to catch any drips and make it easy to move them around.
1. Prepare the jars & lids. I use half-pint jars for ginger peach butter, but you may also use pint jars. Wash the jars in hot sudsy water, rinse and dry them. The jars don't have to be sterilized, since the filled jars will be processed for 15 minutes (as per new canning guidelines from Ball). The washed jars need to be hot when they're filled with hot butter. Keep the jars hot in the canner filled with simmering water. Or, my preference is to put them on a tray in a 180F degree oven to keep them hot until it's time to fill them. I think that's easier than juggling them in and out of hot water right before filling them.
The lids and rings should be washed in hot sudsy water, rinsed, and dried. The lids do not have to be kept hot in simmering water according to new canning guidelines.
2. Fill the jars. Use a canning funnel and ladle to fill each hot jar with hot jam, leaving 1/4" headspace.
3. Insert a bubble remover down the side of the jar and pull toward the center to release any bubbles (you can use any long, thin object like a chopstick).
4. Clean jar rims thoroughly with a wet paper towel. If the rims are dirty the jars won't seal.
5. Add a lid to each jar. Screw on a ring until it is "finger tight".
view on Amazon: mason jars, canning funnel, large ladle, bubble remover & headspace tool
CANNER TIPS:
- I'm using the Ball Electric Canner in the photos below. If you do a lot of canning, I highly recommend it; it's worth the price!
- If you don't have a canner, any large pot of boiling water with a rack in the bottom will work as long as it's deep enough to allow for 1" of water above the jars when they are inside.
6. Use a jar lifter to lower each jar vertically into the canner of boiling water. There should be at least 1" of water over the tops of the jars. Cover and return water to a rolling boil. Process jars in boiling water for 15 minutes (20 minutes for quart jars). Turn off the heat and remove the lid; leave the jars in the hot water for 5 more minutes.
view on Amazon:
- electric waterbath canner, pictured below (highly recommended for serious canners)
- stove-top waterbath canner and utensil kit (economical option--I used this for many years)
- jar lifter
7. Use a jar lifter to remove each jar vertically and set it on a towel. (I line a sheet pan with a towel in case I need to move the jars without disturbing them.) Leave undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Within 30 minutes after the jars are removed from the water, you know they've safely sealed if the center of the jar is slightly indented (it shouldn't give when you press it); often you'll hear a popping noise when they seal. If any of your jars don't seal, store them in the fridge and use them within 2 months, or freeze them for up to 6 months. Sealed jars can be stored in a dark, cool place (like inside a cabinet) for at least 1 year.
For a finishing touch, I like to label my jars. That way they're easy to identify on my shelf, look attractive on the table, and are ready for gift-giving, too. This ginger peach butter will be universally loved and fun to share. Going to a party? Grab one of these to take as a perfect host/hostess gift. Need a little something for a teacher, co-worker, or neighbor? You can't go wrong with a jar of ginger peach butter. Print the labels and stick them on the sides or lids of each jar--easy!
Download printable jar labels/tags. These are sized to fit on jar lids (regular or wide mouth) or sides.
- Print these on card stock, cut them out, punch a hole on top, and hang them from the jar neck with a ribbon, string, or rubber band. OR
- Print them on sticker paper and stick them to the jar or lid. (This is what I do.) Or, print them on regular paper and stick them on with tape.
If you don't have a printer or specialty papers, you can have a store with printing services download and print them for you (Office Depot, Staples, etc.)
Cut with scissors or a circle punch. You can cut the round tags out carefully with scissors, or use a circle punch to make the task easier and more precise. I use a 2-1/4" circle punch; it fits both regular and wide canning lids.
view on Amazon: 2-1/4" circle punch (this fits mason jar lids)
Click on the image below to download & print a full sheet of labels/tags.
I love having this delicious homemade gift available for giving throughout the year.
It tastes amazing on a warm biscuit!
Here are more of my recipes that are suitable for water process canning:
- Classic Marinara Sauce
- Roasted Salsa
- Roasted Salsa Verde
- 3 Barbecue Sauces
- Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
- Fruit & Applesauce Blends
- Choose-Your-Stone-Fruit Jam
- Choose-Your-Berry-Jam
- Bread and Butter Pickles
- Dill Pickles
- Pickled Garlic
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Apple Cider Syrup
- Slow Cooker Blueberry Butter
Make it a Yummy day!
Monica
Embed full recipe:
Put 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer to use later for checking thickness of butter.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a 6-qt. stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until peaches are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.
Pulse peach mixture, in batches, in a food processor until almost smooth. Tranfer each batch into a large bowl. (A blender can also be used for this step.)
Return peach puree to Dutch oven; stir in sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking uncovered, stirring frequently with rubber spatula, scraping bottom & sides of pan, 30-45 minutes or until mixture thickens.
TO TEST FOR RIGHT THICKNESS, remove a small plate from freezer, put a spoonful of hot mixture on chilled plate and return it to freezer for 2 minutes. Remove from freezer, run your finger through the center of the mixture to make a gap. If the gap runs back together quickly, continue cooking for another 30 minutes and check again on a chilled plate, repeating until the gap runs together very slowly; the mixture is ready for canning. Turn heat to low and cover while preparing jars and canner.
FOR WATER PROCESS CANNING
Ladle hot peach mixture into hot jars, leaving 1⁄4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed. Sealed jars are shelf-stable in a cool, dark place (like inside a cabinet) for at least 1 year.
FOR CANNING SAFETY:
--Follow jar preparation and processing recommended by the USDA; see canning safety guidelines at http://www.freshpreserving.com
FOR GENERAL CANNING TIPS go to www.theyummylife.com/canning_tips
recipe adapted from recipe at ballmasonjars.com
