Food Friday--Slow Cooker Peach Butter

A couple of weeks ago, I got a craving for scones (not the weird triangular American scones, I mean real, Scottish scones) with peach jam.  The problem is that I don't like jam (I told you I was weird).  I do like fruit butters, though, and so I set out to create peach butter.

I had never had peach butter and wasn't even sure peaches would work, but I figured I would give it a try.  The results are too sweet for my taste, but good.  Unfortunately, I discovered just a few days after making the peach butter that I may be allergic to peaches, and so can't eat it.  :(  Fortunately, my teenager thinks this stuff is The Best Thing Ever.

Peach Butter

What you need

4 1/2 pounds fresh peaches
2-4 cups granulated sugar, to taste (I used 2.5 cups and it's too sweet for me.  Some people like things much sweeter than I do.)
1 teaspoon Almond extract (optional)

What you do

First, wash your peaches, then cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each one.  While you are doing that, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and prepare a large bowl of ice and water.

Place three or four peaches into the boiling water at a time, and boil for about 30 seconds.  Remove them from the boiling water and place into that bowl of iced water for 1 minute.  Remove from the ice water and the peach skins should easily peel off.  Please note:  The peaches will be SLIPPERY, so be careful.

You can't tell, but the water really is boiling.  

Chillin'.

Easily peeled, slippery peaches.  

After you get them peeled, carefully cut them in half and remove the pits, then slice each peach into eight smaller chunks, then put them into your slow cooker.

Just peachy!

Add in a teaspoon of almond extract if you like (or you can add cinnamon or cloves or allspice if you want.  I just wanted peach.  I did add in the almond extract, though.  I think that it makes the peaches taste better.)

Next, add in your sugar.

Too much sugar!  

Then stir gently, pop on the lid, turn your slow cooker on low and walk away for about 10 hours.  

When you come back, take the lid off and let the peaches continue to cook for another hour or two, or to your desired consistency.  There will still be a lot of recognizable peach bits, so you will either need to run the peach butter through a food processor, blender, or use a stick blender to get it smooth.  A potato masher does not work.  Just trust me on this one.

After pureeing.  Oh, it smells so good!!

Now, all you have to do is put the pureed peach butter into containers and let it cool.  I put mine into 5 and a half 1 pint canning jars, then put in the freezer.

We are 3 of 5.5.  You will be assimilated.  Resistance is futile.

This one went into the refrigerator.  :)  Even though I paid for it later, it was very tasty.