Summer
Vanilla Peach Butter
Popular on Food52
6 Reviews
Kim K.
June 12, 2019
Thank you for this recipe, REMcooks--splendid on so many levels. Our two peach trees went crazy this year, and I've been looking for different ways to use up the bounty. I decided to try my hand at peach butter, and Food52 came to my aid once again.
First, I love that I was able to use the vanilla bean pods from my newly empty bottle of homemade vanilla. Along with the honey, the vanilla added a lovely depth of flavor to the peach butter.
Second, it made me wildly happy that you gave fruit and puree measurements in CUPS. You know how it is with imperfect homegrown produce: weighing the fruit before peeling/pitting isn't reliable, at least with ours. I never know till I cut into a peach if it's going to be mealy or flavorless, under- or overripe, or sweet and perfect. (I typically get 1:3 ratio of usable fruit to yucky fruit.)
Third, I found I could still use some of the fruit that was a little less flavorful. As it cooked down and condensed, the peach flavors intensified. Love that I was able to use a few of those less-than-tasty peaches to a delicious end!
And my cooking notes: Because our peaches tend to release a ton of juice, I skipped the water and just cooked the peaches. It still took 45 minutes of boiling to thicken the peach butter. But oh, so worth it for that deeply intense peachy flavor and glorious color. I started with about 12 cups of fruit chunks and canned 7 cups of peach butter.
This will definitely go into my summer rotation in answer to the yearly question: "What am I going to do with all these peaches?"
First, I love that I was able to use the vanilla bean pods from my newly empty bottle of homemade vanilla. Along with the honey, the vanilla added a lovely depth of flavor to the peach butter.
Second, it made me wildly happy that you gave fruit and puree measurements in CUPS. You know how it is with imperfect homegrown produce: weighing the fruit before peeling/pitting isn't reliable, at least with ours. I never know till I cut into a peach if it's going to be mealy or flavorless, under- or overripe, or sweet and perfect. (I typically get 1:3 ratio of usable fruit to yucky fruit.)
Third, I found I could still use some of the fruit that was a little less flavorful. As it cooked down and condensed, the peach flavors intensified. Love that I was able to use a few of those less-than-tasty peaches to a delicious end!
And my cooking notes: Because our peaches tend to release a ton of juice, I skipped the water and just cooked the peaches. It still took 45 minutes of boiling to thicken the peach butter. But oh, so worth it for that deeply intense peachy flavor and glorious color. I started with about 12 cups of fruit chunks and canned 7 cups of peach butter.
This will definitely go into my summer rotation in answer to the yearly question: "What am I going to do with all these peaches?"
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