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Oven-Roasted Peach Butter

Source of Recipe

From "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"There are some who say that it's impossible to improve on a fresh summer peach. To them I say, try this peach butter. The oven roasting concentrates the flavor of the peaches and transforms them into a rich, spreadable condiment that is glorious on top of whole-wheat biscuits or just eaten straight with a spoon. This butter is easily made in larger batches with increased quantities."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 pounds yellow peaches
â—¦ 1 to 2 cups granulated sugar, or as needed
â—¦ Zest and juice of 1 lemon


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a boiling water bath and three regular-mouth half-pint jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Arrange them cut-side down in a single layer in a nonreactive baking dish (glass or ceramic is best). Roast for 30 minutes, or until the skins are loose.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the skins from the peach halves and discard. Using a fork, mash the softened peaches in the baking dish. Reduce the oven temperature to 250° F. Return the mashed peaches to the oven and bake for an additional 2 to 3 hours, checking often to stir and prevent burning, until all the wateriness is gone and they are dark in color.

When the peaches have broken down sufficiently, taste the fruit and stir in 1 cup sugar. Taste and add more sugar to taste. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Because this recipe makes such a small amount, I tend to skip the boiling water bath step and just keep it in the refrigerator. If you are short on fridge space, this butter can be processed for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Makes 3 half-pint jars