CHEAP EATS

Peach Butter

Fruit butters are a perfect way to capture the best of the summer for enjoyment during the cold winter months. Nothing comes close to a slather of peach or apple butter on whole grain toast or fresh homemade biscuits along with a wedge of cheese and fruit to start out your day.

The following recipe is as “easy as pie” except it’s butter. Enjoy and be sure to share with someone you love. How good is that...

Ingredients:

Technique:

Peel, pit and cut peaches into large chunks. Place in a heavy-duty pot and bring to a slow boil in their own juice. DO NOT ADD WATER. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cook until peaches are completely tender. Place peaches, minus excess juice, in a food processor and blend until smooth. Reserve juice to make peach syrup for luscious pancakes.

Transfer peaches to a heavy duty aluminum pan, measuring as you do so. For each cup of peaches, add ½ cup organic cane sugar. Stir in spices and lemon juice. Cover pan and place in a preheated 325 degree oven on the middle rack and back for about three hours until mixture becomes very thick.

Ladle peaches into hot, washed and sterilized canning jars (sterilize for 20 minutes in boiling hot water). Seal loosely, making sure to clean away any fruit that might have spilled along the sides of the rim. Add to a canning pot with water about half way up around jars and cook for 10 minutes to destroy and possible bacteria and to seal jars. Remove jars, using a clean cloth, screw on lids as tight as you can, invert and allow to cool. If seal pops while cooling, repeat process.

Store completely cooled butter in a cool dark place until ready to use.

How good is that...