Start with your peaches. You want to wash them first—don’t skip that step. The last thing you want is peach butter that tastes like anything other than peaches. Once they’re clean, go ahead and peel them, remove the pits, and get them ready for chopping.
Now you’ve got two options here. You can chop them up by hand, run them through a food processor, or even use a blender. You’re looking for a puree or a really fine chop so everything cooks down evenly. A manual chopper works great too if that’s what you have on hand.
Keep in mind, you’re going to need quite a bit because this cooks down a lot. What looks like a full pot at the beginning will reduce significantly as it thickens.
Once your peaches are ready, go ahead and transfer them into a heavy pot. A cast iron Dutch oven works really well here because it holds heat evenly and helps prevent burning.
Add your sugar straight into the peaches and give everything a good mix.
Now place the pot on the stove over medium heat and let it come up to a boil. From here, it’s all about patience. You’ll want to stir it often—don’t walk away for too long—because as it thickens, it can stick to the bottom.
As it cooks, you’ll notice the color getting deeper and the texture changing. It will slowly reduce, thicken, and turn into that smooth, rich peach butter consistency you’re looking for.
Once it’s thick, glossy, and spreadable, take it off the heat and let it cool slightly. Give it a taste. You’ll know right away—it should be rich, concentrated, and full of peach flavor. If you want to store it long-term, you can cold pack it for canning.
