Why it works: Peach and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,308 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Peach Butter
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the peaches
Peel the ripe peaches and place them in a preserving kettle with enough water to cover them.
Boil the peaches until soft, then strain through a colander to remove the stones.
Make the butter
For each quart of peach puree, add 1½ pounds of sugar.
Boil the mixture very slowly for one hour, stirring often to prevent burning.
Jar and store
Transfer the peach butter into stone or glass jars and store in a cool place.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Peach + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,308 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Peaches
- Provide the fruit pulp that cooks down into the thick, flavorful body of the butter.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and, as the mixture cooks down, helps thicken it and preserve it.
The step that matters
Boiling the puree very slowly while stirring often. Sugar and fruit pulp scorch easily on the bottom of the kettle during the long cook. Stirring often and keeping the heat low prevents burning and gives the butter an even color and flavor.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Peach Ice Cream64 recipes
Peach Fritters55 recipes
Peach Meringue40 recipes
Peach Ice16 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.