Vanilla Honey Peach Butter
Ingredients:
- 18 ripe peaches, about 6 to 7 pounds
- ¼ cup water
- 2¼ cups granulated sugar, preferably organic
- ¾ cup raw honey, preferably locally sourced
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Jars & Lids –
Wash and rinse the jars; put them into a big stockpot; cover the jars with water and bring to a boil; turn off the heat. Let stand in hot water until you are ready to fill.
Wash the bands and lids, bring a saucepan of water to boil, add them let sit until you are ready to screw them on the jars. (Use new lids each time, bands can be reused.)
For the peaches and cooking –
Rinse the peaches off, removing the fuzzy layer. Peel, quarter and pit. Roughly chop, add to a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, lower to medium. Simmer covered for 15 minutes until fork tender. Take off the stove and use a stick blender to puree.
Return to the stove, add sugar, honey and vanilla. Return to a boil, turn down to medium and simmer uncovered until it is very thick (mounds on a spoon). How long will this take? Anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes. It depends on how juicy the peaches are. Mine were very ripe and juicy, I cooked mine for about 40 minutes.
Be wary during the cooking, it can splatter. A fry mesh guard over the pot may be useful, but otherwise be wary and keep children/pets out of the kitchen.
To preserve –
Empty the water out of your jars, fill to ¼” of the top (a sterilized canning funnel works great). Wipe the rims with a new damp paper towel, removing any spilled jam, especially on the rim.
Place a lid on top and tighten a band around each jar, place them into a pot of boiling water (such as a canning pot), using a canning rack to lower in. Make sure all jars are upright and that jars are fully submerged, with at least 2″ of water above.
Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Take out carefully using a jar lifter or tongs. Have a clean kitchen towel on the counter, place each jar on it and let cool for at least 6 hours, overnight is better. Listen for the “popping sound” and keep track of how many times you hear it. Check after cooling that the lid is firm when pressed on, if it pops up and down, it isn’t sealed. If that happens, refrigerate that jar and use within a couple of weeks.
Once cooled, store the jars in a pantry for up to 12 months. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use up within 3 to 4 weeks.
Makes about 9 8-ounce jars.
Note: Do NOT give honey to infants under a year!