Homemade Vanilla Bourbon Peach Butter: A Simple Guide for Preservation Either via Canning or Freezing
A summer favourite and a perfect addition to your pantry, small-batch vanilla-bourbon peach butter is a versatile condiment that brings a rich, sweet, and slightly boozy flavour to your meals.
This recipe, perfect for toast, biscuits, or gifting, involves a simple yet delightful cooking process. Here's a step-by-step guide:
- Prepare Peach Puree: Peel and pit about 2.5 pounds of peaches to create approximately 4 cups of peach puree.
- Combine Ingredients: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix the peach puree with brown sugar (around 8 tablespoons), lemon juice (about 4 teaspoons), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and bourbon (usually 2 teaspoons or to taste).
- Cook Slowly: Simmer the mixture on low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens into a butter-like consistency. This slow cooking concentrates flavors and reduces moisture.
- Cool and Store: Once thickened, cool the peach butter and store it in small batches, such as jars for canning or immediate use.
The key elements in this process are slow stirring in small batches and gradual reduction to enhance flavour and texture. Additional enhancements, such as gently simmering peaches with vanilla bean and bourbon before pureeing and cooking down, can further infuse flavour.
Once prepared, the peach butter can be stored in the refrigerator, freezer, or preserved through canning for later use. For canning, use the water bath method, processing half-pints or pints for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude). Freezer storage lasts up to 6 months, while refrigerator storage keeps the peach butter fresh for up to 3 weeks.
This small-batch recipe is ideal for using up soft or bruised peaches and is multi-purpose, suitable for use on toast, yogurt, pork, or pancakes. You can also layer it into a summer tart or crisp, swirl it into oatmeal, or glaze grilled chicken or pork with the peach butter.
Enjoy the subtle bourbon and vanilla flavour that deepens the overall taste of this delicious peach butter.
This simple cooking process involving slow stirring in small batches and gradual reduction enhances the flavor and texture of the small-batch vanilla-bourbon peach butter, a versatile addition to your home-and-garden lifestyle and food-and-drink recipes. The peach butter can be used in various ways, such as spreading on toast, layering into a summer tart, or glazing grilled chicken or pork. Preserving the peach butter for later use can be done through canning or freezer storage.
