There’s a special kind of magic that fills the air when summer peaches are abundant, their sweet, juicy aroma promising delightful culinary adventures. This time of year, when farm stands are overflowing with these golden treasures, is simply irresistible for anyone who loves fresh fruit. Among the many ways to enjoy this seasonal bounty, creating a rich, velvety peach butter stands out. And what could be easier than letting your Crockpot do all the work? This Crockpot Peach Butter Recipe is not only incredibly simple to make, yielding a spread that tastes like pure summer sunshine, but it’s also perfect for preserving. Imagine savoring the vibrant flavor of fresh peaches during the dreary winter months, a sweet reminder of warmer days, all thanks to a little planning and your trusty slow cooker.
Effortless Crockpot Peach Butter: A Taste of Summer All Year Round
One of the most rewarding aspects of cooking with summer produce is the ability to capture its essence and enjoy it long after the season has passed. Freezing or canning freshly made treats allows you to bring a touch of warmth and sunshine into the colder, grayer months. There’s nothing quite like pulling out a jar of homemade peach butter when the snow is falling outside, instantly transporting you back to warm summer evenings and the delightful scent of a backyard fire. It’s a simple pleasure that truly brightens the spirit.
While we eagerly anticipate the cooler days, let’s hope for a mild winter with minimal disruptive snowstorms. A gentle transition of seasons sounds lovely, doesn’t it? In the meantime, the irresistible aroma and taste of this slow cooker peach butter are enough to make you want to grab a spoon and dive right in! This delightful spread is incredibly versatile. Have you ever considered how amazing it would be swirled into vanilla ice cream? The possibilities are truly endless, from topping your morning toast to enhancing your favorite desserts.
Making homemade peach butter in your slow cooker is an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s a hands-off method that allows the fruit to slowly simmer and concentrate its flavors over several hours, resulting in a deep, rich, and incredibly smooth spread. Unlike jams or jellies, peach butter is cooked down until it’s thick and spreadable, without the need for added pectin, truly highlighting the natural sweetness and tartness of the peaches themselves. This process ensures an intense fruit flavor that is unparalleled.
The beauty of this Slow Cooker Peach Butter lies in its simplicity and the depth of flavor it achieves. By using a crockpot, you eliminate the need for constant stirring and monitoring, freeing up your time while the butter slowly cooks to perfection. The consistent, low heat of the slow cooker gently breaks down the peach fibers, allowing their natural sugars to caramelize and their vibrant taste to intensify. This method is ideal for those busy days when you want to create something delicious and homemade without being tied to the stove.
Beyond its incredible taste, homemade peach butter also makes a wonderful gift. Poured into decorative canning jars, it becomes a thoughtful and personal present for friends and family, perfect for holidays or special occasions. The rich, golden hue and inviting aroma are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Plus, knowing that it’s made with fresh, wholesome ingredients adds an extra layer of care and quality.
Ingredients Needed for the Best Crock-Pot Peach Butter
Creating this delicious peach butter requires just a few simple ingredients, allowing the natural flavor of the peaches to truly shine through. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is essential:
- Ripe Peaches: The star of the show! Choose peaches that are soft to the touch and emit a sweet fragrance. Freestone varieties are generally easier to work with as their pits detach easily from the flesh, but clingstone peaches will work just as well, simply requiring a bit more patience during pitting.
- Honey: A natural sweetener that complements the peaches beautifully, adding a subtle floral note and depth of flavor. You can adjust the amount to your taste, or substitute with maple syrup or granulated sugar if preferred.
- Ginger, powder: This warming spice adds a delightful kick and aromatic complexity that pairs wonderfully with peaches. A little goes a long way to elevate the overall flavor profile. Consider adding a pinch of cinnamon or a dash of nutmeg for a classic spiced peach butter variation.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is crucial for two reasons: it brightens the flavor of the peaches, balancing their sweetness with a hint of tartness, and it acts as a natural preservative, helping to ensure the peach butter is safe for canning if you choose that preservation method.
- Water: A small amount of water is added to prevent the peaches from scorching at the bottom of the slow cooker during the initial cooking phase, ensuring a smooth and even cook.
Essential Recipe Tips and Tools for Perfect Peach Butter
Making Homemade Peach Butter is a straightforward process, but having the right tools and knowing a few tricks can make it even smoother and more enjoyable. From peeling peaches to achieving that perfect buttery consistency, these tips will guide you.
Spider Strainer: This kitchen gadget is an absolute game-changer when it comes to blanching peaches. Its wide, shallow basket allows you to safely and easily lower a few peaches into boiling water and then quickly transfer them to an ice bath. This gentle handling helps prevent bruising and ensures a smooth peeling process, making it an indispensable tool for preparing fresh peaches.
Cookie Sheet with Edges: Peeling and slicing ripe peaches can be a wonderfully messy affair, with sweet, sticky juices flowing everywhere. A cookie sheet with raised edges is your best friend here, acting as a catch-all for any escaping peach liquid, keeping your countertop tidy. I often place a cutting board over the cookie sheet to provide a stable surface for peeling and slicing, allowing me to collect all the precious juice and prevent waste. This setup simplifies cleanup and ensures you don’t lose any of that delicious peach essence.
The ripeness of your peaches directly impacts how easy they are to peel. Super ripe peaches will have skins that practically slide off after blanching. However, if your peaches are slightly less ripe, you might need a small paring knife to assist with peeling. Regardless, it’s wise to be prepared for a juicy experience. Keep a few clean dish towels close at hand, and position a garbage can or a large bowl nearby for discarding the peach skins and pits. Staying organized will make the process much more enjoyable.
Slow Cooker (Crockpot): The heart of this recipe! For optimal convenience and peace of mind, we highly recommend using a slow cooker equipped with a digital timer that automatically switches to a “warm” setting once the cooking time is complete. This feature is incredibly useful, especially for recipes like peach butter that require long cooking times. It ensures your peaches don’t overcook or burn, and allows you to go about your day without constantly checking on the progress. A reliable slow cooker is key to achieving that perfect, deeply flavored Crockpot Peach Butter.
Explore More Delightful Peach Recipes
If you’ve found yourself with an abundance of fresh peaches after making your delicious peach butter, don’t let them go to waste! Peaches are incredibly versatile and can be used in a myriad of sweet and savory dishes. From breakfast staples to refreshing beverages and decadent desserts, there’s a perfect peach recipe waiting for you. Here are some other fantastic ways to enjoy your summer peaches:
Crock Pot Peaches and Cream Oatmeal: Start your day with a comforting bowl of slow-cooked oatmeal, bursting with sweet peaches and creamy goodness. It’s an effortless way to enjoy a warm, fruity breakfast.
Refreshing Peach Iced Tea Cocktail: Perfect for a hot summer afternoon, this cocktail combines the crispness of iced tea with the sweet, delicate flavor of peaches. It’s a truly refreshing adult beverage.
Warm & Indulgent Peach Cobbler: A classic dessert that’s even easier in the slow cooker! Enjoy tender, juicy peaches topped with a golden, biscuit-like crust. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
Zesty Peach Daiquiri: Blend fresh peaches with rum and lime for a vibrant and tropical cocktail that’s perfect for entertaining or relaxing by the pool.
Sweet Peach Mango Ice Cream: Combine the sweetness of peaches with the tropical tang of mango for a homemade ice cream that’s utterly delicious and surprisingly easy to make.
Still have more peaches? Don’t fret! Learn how to freeze peaches properly so you can enjoy their delicious flavor throughout the winter. Freezing peaches is a simple and effective way to extend their shelf life and ensure you always have a taste of summer on hand for smoothies, desserts, or even more peach butter!
For those who love hearty, plant-based meals, be sure to explore all of our vegetarian crockpot recipes. The slow cooker is an amazing tool for creating flavorful and nutritious vegetarian dishes with minimal effort.
Are you a fan of delicious and easy-to-follow recipes? Then you’ll love our collection of copycat recipes, perfect for recreating your restaurant favorites at home. Indulge your sweet tooth with our extensive range of dessert recipes, guaranteed to satisfy any craving. And, of course, don’t miss our dedicated section for CrockPot Recipes, where convenience meets culinary excellence.
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Crock Pot Peach Butter Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 lbs Peaches Ripe, freestone preferred
- ¼ Cups Honey
- 2 Tablespoon Ginger powder (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon for variation)
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- ½ Cup Water
Instructions
- To begin, heat a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Simultaneously, prepare a large bowl filled with ice water and place it right beside your boiling pot. This setup is crucial for effectively blanching the peaches.
- Using a slotted spoon or a spider strainer, gently lower a few peaches into the vigorously boiling water. Avoid overcrowding the pot to ensure even blanching.
- Allow the peaches to blanch (boil) for approximately 1 to 2 minutes. The goal is to loosen their skins without cooking the fruit through. You might notice the skins starting to crinkle slightly.
- Promptly remove the blanched peaches from the boiling water and immediately immerse them into the ice water. This sudden temperature change, known as shocking, stops the cooking process and further aids in loosening the skins. Let them cool completely in the ice bath.
- Continue this blanching and shocking process in batches until all your peaches have been treated and are cooling in the ice water.
- Once cooled, take the peaches from the ice water and begin to remove their skins. For ripe peaches, the skins should effortlessly slide off. If they are a bit stubborn, it indicates the peaches weren’t quite ripe enough, and you may need a small paring knife to carefully peel them.
- Next, cut the peach flesh away from the stone (pit). There’s no need for perfectly uniform slices; simply aim to remove as much of the delicious flesh from the pit as possible. You can place the cut peaches directly into your slow cooker as you go.
- Transfer all the prepared peach pieces to the slow cooker bowl. Add the honey, ground ginger (or your chosen spice like cinnamon), water, and fresh lemon juice. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
- Cover your slow cooker and cook the peaches on the HIGH setting for an extended period, typically between 10 to 12 hours. This long, slow cooking process is essential for breaking down the fruit and concentrating its flavors into a rich, buttery consistency.
- After the designated cooking time, the peaches should be incredibly soft and mushy. At this point, use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker to puree them until smooth. Alternatively, you can achieve a similar result by mashing them very thoroughly with a potato masher for a slightly chunkier texture.
- Continue to cook the peach butter with the lid slightly ajar or completely off for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until it reaches a thick, applesauce-like consistency. If you find there’s too much liquid, leaving the lid off will allow some of it to evaporate, helping the butter to thicken. The longer it cooks, the thicker and more intensely flavored your peach butter will become.
- Once your Crockpot Peach Butter has reached your desired consistency, carefully remove it from the slow cooker. Allow it to cool completely before transferring to airtight containers or jars for storage.
Kitchen Tools
- Slow cooker
- Immersion Blender (or potato masher)
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spider Strainer
Nutrition
Recipe originally shared on August 7, 2016. Updated and enhanced January 2021.