It must be time for Colorado Peaches!

Canning season has been a little slow this year since the garden was put in late and the weather has not cooperated, but slowly a few things are making their way into glass jars to be consumed this winter when the snow flies and the wind whips through the trees. Corn was picked and canned, and tomatoes are being made into salsa to be enjoyed while we cheer on the Huskers. One part of canning season I look forward to is Colorado peach season and it is here!

I have to buy a lug or two of peaches and can plain peach halves in syrup, make a fresh peach pie and then make up vanilla peach butter. It is made just like apple butter, but uses peaches and tastes so good on warm toast made from homemade bread on a crisp winter morning. I managed to hide the 8lbs of peaches I needed to make a batch, and had everything else on hand.

It is really easy to make peach butter and I learned a few tricks to make it faster and easier. Here is the recipe:

Vanilla Peach Butter

8 lbs peaches; peeled, pitted and quartered

1/2 cup water

Place peaches and water in a large pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the peaches are tender and soft. Place peaches in a food processor and blend until they are smooth. Pour peaches into a large pan (I rinse out the one I just used) and add:

3 Tbsp lemon juice

4 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 or 2 Tbsp vanilla (depends on how much you want)

Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until it thickens. Stir the mixture often so it does not burn! You can continue boiling it until it rounds on a spoon* then pour into prepared jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

*one way to test is to put a spoonful on a plate and wait 5 minutes. If there is a ring of liquid around the pulp it is not ready and needs cooked longer.

Other methods of cooking this down are after the mix starts to thicken transfer it to an oven proof non reactive pan (glass or stainless steel) and bake at 170 degrees until the mixture rounds on a spoon. You still have to stir this every half hour or so and it will take several hours.

Place the pulp mixture directly from the food processor into a large crockpot and cook on low 8 hours or overnight. This is the easiest because you can ignore it; except for the smell! Process in the boiling water bath the same way as the normal boil on stovetop method.

We enjoy pulling jars of peaches off the shelf during the winter and being able to taste a little bit of summer. Plain peaches in syrup can be transformed into pies, crisps and cobblers. The peach butter can be mixed into oatmeal, yogurt or a new family favorite is peach kolaches! I have a couple lugs of peaches ordered and can't wait to pick them up this week.