Crock Pot Peach Butter

When we lived in Montana, we used to buy apple butter from the Amish store down the road.  It was so good, and the commercially made stuff just doesn't taste as good.   I never thought about making it myself, but this is Peach Butter! Like apple butter, only better.

Four peaches, two tablespoons sugar, my favorite knife, a cutting board, and wait... what's my corn brush doing in there?  Well, it's soft, and perfect to scrub the peaches with.

I still hate recipes that say things like "4 peaches" because what size of peaches???  Tiny baby ones, or the one that kid James chases around...  So, I went to the Sewing Room of Doom and got the tape measure, and measured these babies around their fuzzy little equators.

They were between 8.5 and 9 inches around.  So, that's your average peach.

Cut the peaches vertically.

Pop out the pit, and use a small spoon to scrape out the icky stuff in the center.  Cut each half in four slices...

Then rotate it 90 degrees and cut four times again.  There's a jar lid in every picture...

Red is not a good color of cutting board to photograph a peach on.  I have a new white one, so better pictures next time.*

Do this for each peach.  Plop them all into the slow cooker, and sprinkle the sugar over the top.

My ancient (20+ years old) crock pot.

After four hours on low, remove the peaches (use a slotted spoon) and put them into a food processor or blender.

My ancient (1985) Lil' Oskar food processor.  I love that thing, and of course they're out of production so if I break it, I lose it.

Rev it up, be careful it's hot! (don't hold your hand over the vent hole in the lid)

Pour the peach puree back into the crock pot, and stir it up with the juices.   Cover, but prop the lid open with a wooden spoon to let the moisture escape.

This is the part that I can't measure or be specific.  The time it needs to cook now depends on how juicy the peaches were.  So, check it  and stir every 30 minutes until it's the consistency you like.   About 1-2 hours.

At this point you can add some vanilla extract if you like, about a teaspoon.  Or maybe two, taste it and see.

Pour into a jar, or other container with good lid.   This is a jelly jar, with my canning funnel in it... saves some mess.  But you don't need it.   Unless you're messy like me.

There's that jar lid again... bet you wondered why it was lying around.

The jars can be processed in hot water to keep in the cabinet, but I'm not crazy about doing that.  I just put one in the fridge and one in the freezer. 

This is so good on biscuits or English muffins.  Or toast.  Or anything.

* There, isn't this better?  I'll be sure to photograph chopping an onion or a potato on one of these...