Last weekend, we visited New Orleans where I participated in a conference as a panelist discussing recipe development. The trip also served as a mini-vacation for our anniversary without the baby. This was our second visit; the first one was a couple of months before our wedding in 2005, and we didn’t expect to have a strong emotional connection with the city until our wedding coincided with Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately, we escaped the damages of another hurricane back home. We consider ourselves fortunate.
When we travel, we always make plans to walk everywhere and eat without restrictions in the hopes of finding a balance. However, this approach works better in a city that doesn’t feel like a preheated oven, as the still air and intense heat make summer unbearable. Consequently, we walked at a leisurely pace and indulged in meals to our heart’s content. While I would love to share all the details with you – the tomato salad with battered Vidalia “chips”, the boudin, and the po’ boys – I am hesitant to do so. Admitting that I devoured at least four gravy-laden dishes in three days would be an embarrassment to my food-focused blog. Nevertheless, I will tell you about the brunch platter that nearly put me over the edge. It consisted of eggs, grits, fried green tomatoes, bacon, a giant warm biscuit, and the owner’s homemade peach butter to spread on top. “I’m going to have to roll myself home from New Orleans!” I joked with my husband. We vowed to find healthier options on our last day, but still ended up treating ourselves to a beignet breakfast, a muffaletta lunch, and pralines to take home as gifts. I’m sure New Orleans is still laughing at us!
It goes without saying that I have been subsisting on a limited diet of bread and water, or something akin to it, since our return. But the memory of that peach butter has stayed with me. I am not particularly fond of its more commonly favored relative, apple butter, as the sweetness is often overwhelming, and the overwhelming use of spices renders it nearly unrecognizable as apple. The opposite is true of peach butter; it has a restrained sweetness that allows the purest essence of the fruit to shine through. I simply had to make it. I must confess that I felt a bit out of my depth in the kitchen yesterday; I am no expert at jam-making, having only canned food twice before. I had to resort to Google to determine when the apple butter would be complete and whether the food mill would remove the skin or merely grind it up. (Google and I are quite chatty.) Nevertheless, my apartment was transformed into a peach-scented paradise, with the kettle bubbling and gurgling with the syrupy peaches. The final product is beyond words; I cannot contain my excitement or stop myself from dipping my spoon into the jar. The butter is absolutely peachy, with just enough sweetness to balance out the tartness. And the best part? You can make it in just under 90 minutes, while simultaneously baking biscuits in the oven. Trust me when I say that this is the perfect addition to your weekend morning routine.
One year ago: Recipe for Peach Shortbread
Two years ago: Recipe for Cornbread Salad
Three years ago: Recipes for Sour Cherry Compote, Cold Brewed Iced Coffee, and Bourbon Peach Hand Pies
Four years ago: Recipes for White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Dip and Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitake
Five years ago, two of my go-to soup recipes were the 44-Clove Garlic Soup and Silky Cauliflower Soup. Additionally, I recall learning about apple butter from Oprah, who once raved about how it saved her during a diet. I was disappointed to later discover that apple butter contained no actual butter. Fruit butters, however, are a tasty fusion of jam and sauce with a smooth texture. The best ones have a pure flavor similar to pate de fruits, without being overly sugary. They are simple to prepare and delicious when spread onto a biscuit or toast, or even mixed into your morning yogurt.
If you’re searching for a conventional fruit spread, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the mild sweetness and distinct peach flavor of this one. After researching apple spreads, I discovered that most recipes recommend using four cups of sugar for every four pounds of fruit. However, I decided to take a risk by reducing the amount of sugar by half. Similarly, most recipes suggest adding one to two tablespoons of cinnamon along with other spices. I chose to leave out any additional seasoning. To my pleasant surprise, these two decisions resulted in one of the best outcomes from my kitchen this week. Finally, I have found a fruit spread that doesn’t overpower with sugary sweetness. It’s perfectly peachy with just enough sourness to remind you that it is, in fact, made of peaches and not peach-flavored candy. Without any spices to mask the natural taste of the fruit, you can enjoy the best of peach season in a spread that will last until the cold winter days.
Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients:
– 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) of peaches
– 1 cup (237 ml) of water
– 2 cups (400 grams) of granulated sugar
– Juice of one lemon
Instructions (without a food mill):
1. Cut a small “x” in the bottom of each peach.
2. Dip the peaches in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.
3. Place the peaches into a bowl of cold water for a minute.
4. Remove the peels.
5. Continue with the remaining peaches.
Note: If you have a food mill, skip the peeling step and use it as directed later in the recipe.
Cut the peaches in half and take out the pits. After that, cut each half into quarters producing eight chunks of peach per fruit. Get a large pot and put the peach chunks and water inside it. Heat and wait for it to boil. Stir occasionally as you simmer the mixture for around 15 to 20 minutes or until the peaches have become tender. Use a food mill if you have one to puree them and get rid of the skins. In the event that you have already peeled your peaches and don’t have a food mill, puree them using a food processor, blender or immersion blender. If you want a very smooth texture for your peach butter, continue puréeing. However, feel free to leave some texture if that’s what you prefer.
Put the peaches back into the big pot, include the sugar and lemon juice, and heat up the mixture until it reaches a vigorous simmer or gentle boil. Keep cooking at this level for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally in the beginning and more frequently towards the end to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pot as it thickens.
There are multiple techniques for testing for doneness. One can pour a ribbon of sauce over the surface and if it remains intact before dissolving into the pot, it is done. Alternatively, one can use a cold or frozen plate, putting a spoonful in the middle and checking if water forms a ring around it after a couple of minutes to determine the doneness. Another method is to use a spoon and see if the butter retains its round shape on the spoon for two minutes. Finally, one can check the pot itself and look for a clear trail left by a wooden spoon when scraped across the bottom as an indication that the butter is done.
Allow the peach butter to cool down (unless you plan to can it, in which case, follow the instructions below). For non-canning purposes, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it can remain fresh for at least two weeks.
To preserve your peach butter: Start by sterilizing your jars. You can do this by boiling them in a large pot of water, ensuring that the water completely covers the jars, for 10 minutes. Alternatively, wash them in hot soapy water, rinse them thoroughly and dry them. Then place the jars in a 200-degree oven for 20 minutes. Next, pour your piping hot peach butter into the jars, leaving some space at the top. After that, wipe the rims of the jars clean with a dry towel and cover them with their lids. Lower the jars into a large pot of boiling water using tongs or a removable basket and submerge them for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and place them on towels to cool. This may take overnight. As long as you have canned the peach butter correctly, it will last indefinitely at room temperature.
I didn’t have any canning jars available when I made this, but I loved it so much that I plan on purchasing some jars and making more before the last of the peaches disappear. I have become a true believer.
