How to Make Homemade Peach Butter (Canning Recipe)
Have you ever had a jar of homemade peach butter — the kind that’s simmered on the stove until thick and makes the whole house smell like fall?
Every summer my kids (who are all grown now) and I go down to Georgia, where I grew up, to visit my folks, and we all go peach picking. It’s one of my favorite traditions!
This summer my travel schedule was so busy that the week before we planned to go (same week as last year) peach picking, Gregg Farms announced that they were out of peaches. I was so bummed! I still have some of my peach preserves from last summer so it wasn’t even really about getting more peaches to put up – although I wanted to! – for me, it’s more about preserving traditions that we can do as a family now that my kids are grown and I have grandkids. I want to keep that connection alive with fun family traditions that we can all do together. Next year for sure!
I started making peach butter years ago as a way to enjoy the season’s harvest, and it’s turned into one of those recipes I make every single year without fail. It’s simple to make and it fills the kitchen with a smell that makes everyone swoon.
If you don’t have a u-pick farm near you, look for produce stands or visit a local farmer’s market and buy them there. I love going to the farmer’s market in Asheville, North Carolina every year to buy produce I can put up for the year.
The base recipe for this Peach Butter is just peaches and sugar, cooked low and slow until it’s thick and glossy. But a few years back I started adding my own blend of spices — cinnamon, a little nutmeg, cloves, and ginger — and there’s no going back now. It turns a good peach butter into something that tastes like the first cool morning of fall, even when it’s still ninety degrees outside.
I took the recipe from my Ball Canning Book and added in my own spices to make this Spiced Peach Butter and I promise you’ll love it as much as we do!
Melissa’s Peach Butter with Warm Spices
Yield: about 4 pints | You can print the recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 8 cups peaches (about 4 to 4½ lbs, or roughly 18 medium)
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
To Prepare the Pulp: Wash and blanch the peaches, then put them in cold water so the skins slip off easily. Peel, pit, and slice. Combine the peaches with ½ cup water in a large saucepot and simmer until soft. Purée using a food processor or food mill — careful not to liquefy it. You’ll want about 2 quarts of peach pulp.
To Make the Butter: Combine the peach pulp, sugar, and spices in a large saucepot. Cook over low heat until thick enough to round up on a spoon, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick or scorch. Ladle the hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, adjust two-piece caps, and process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
If preserving the season feels like one more thing on an already full plate, that’s exactly what The Homemaker’s Path was built for — walking you through the rhythms of home, one manageable step at a time. Members get instant access to The Homemaker’s Path. You can take my free quiz here to see where you’re at on the Path.
Canning Guide for Beginners
Beginner canning feels intimidating right up until you do it once. It’s really so much easier than you probably imagine! I taught my daughters how to can a few years ago, and they now love making their own canned goods too.
If you are new to canning, be sure to download my free printable canning guide for beginners here!
Homemade Peach Butter for Canning
A warm, spiced peach butter cooked low and slow . Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger turn late-summer peaches into the taste of early fall, one jar at a time.
Ingredients
- 8 cups peaches (about 4 to 4½ lbs, or roughly 18 medium)
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
To Prepare the Pulp: Wash and blanch the peaches, then put them in cold water so the skins slip off easily. Peel, pit, and slice. Combine the peaches with ½ cup water in a large saucepot and simmer until soft. Purée using a food processor or food mill — careful not to liquefy it. You’ll want about 2 quarts of peach pulp.
To Make the Butter: Combine the peach pulp, sugar, and spices in a large saucepot. Cook over low heat until thick enough to round up on a spoon, stirring frequently so it doesn’t stick or scorch. Ladle the hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, adjust two-piece caps, and process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
64Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 73Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 0g
