How to Make Old-Fashioned Peach Butter

Start by removing the pits from your peaches and cutting them into quarters.Toss them in your food processor or high-speed blender, and process until they are smooth. (Be careful not to liquefy them-- we are wanting a smooth puree, not peach juice)Now we need to cook the puree so it reaches the perfect consistency. You have two options: a slow cooker or a regular ol' pot on the stove.Slow Cooker Peach Butter: This method takes longer (anywhere from several hours to all day), but requires less babysitting. Simply pour your peach puree into your slow cook, and set it on low. You'll want to crack the lid open to allow the steam to escape. Otherwise, your peach butter won't reduce and thicken.Stovetop Peach Butter: This method takes less time, but you need to be there to make sure you don't get peach butter spewed all over your kitchen. Pour the peach puree in a large stock pot and set it on the stove over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning (and splashing) and continue to cook until it reaches the desired consistency (30-40 minutes)Perform a quick taste test to see if you need to add sweetener-- my peaches were pretty sweet already, so I only added about 1/2 cup of sweetener to my batch.At this point you can: Let the peach butter cool and eat it right away. Or pour your peach butter into freezer-safe containers and pop it in the freezer for later. You can also can it: Pour the peach butter into sterilized glass pint jars and leave 1/4 inch of headspace. Process the peach butter in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.