Fruit butters

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Fruit butter is an old-fashioned spread with less sugar than jams, jellies, and other preserves. They can be made from most high acid fruits or mixtures of fruits. Apple is probably the most popular butter, but apricot, peach, pear, plum, quince and crab apple are also suitable.

Note: There are no safe research based recipes for canning butters made from Asian pears, figs, pumpkin, melons or mangos. These butters must be refrigerated (up to 4 weeks) or frozen for long term storage.

Preparing the fruits

For best flavor use ripe fruit. Wash thoroughly, and prepare as follows:

• Apples: Quarter and add one half as much apple juice or cider as fruit.
• Apricots: Pit, crush and use one half as much water or juice as fruit.
• Crab apples: Quarter, cut out stems and blossom ends. Add one half as much water or apple juice as fruit.
• Grapes: Remove stems, crush grapes and cook in own juice.
• Peaches: Dip in boiling water to loosen skins. Peel, pit, and crush. Add a small amount of water or juice to prevent sticking if peaches seem dry. (approximately ¼ as much liquid as peaches.)
• Pears: Remove stems and blossom ends. Peel if desired. Quarter, core, crush and cook in own juice. If pears seem dry, add ¼ as much water as pears.
• Plums/prunes: Plums, remove pits, crush and cook in own juice. Prunes, if dry add ¼ as much water or juice as prunes.
• Quince: Remove stems and blossom ends. Cut into small pieces and add one half as much water as fruit.

Note: A combination of fruits can be used to make butters.

Making the pulp

Cook the fruit until tender stirring frequently to prevent scorching, When soft, press cooked fruit through a food mill, cone strainer or sieve to make pulp.

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Basic fruit butter recipe

• 2 quarts pulp
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Other spices to taste

Flavor and spice options

To determine the amount of sugar needed, measure the pulp and add ¼-½ cup sugar to each cup of fruit pulp. Spices such as cinnamon, ground allspice, cloves and ginger are common spices used in butters. The amount of spices added depends on personal preference. A good guide is to start with about 1 teaspoon cinnamon per quart of pulp and about ¼ teaspoon of the other spices. A combination of spices or a single spice can be added.

Other flavor and spice options

• Zest and juice of 1 orange or lemon
• ½ -1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Brown sugar in place or some or all of white sugar
• 1 cup honey to replace 3 cups of sugar for a lower sugar option

Cooking the butter

Method 1 - On top of the stove

• Butters should be cooked in small batches. Select a heavy 8-10 quart kettle with a broad, flat bottom. The pulp and sugar mixture must bubble and cook rapidly without boiling over the sides of the kettle. A light thin kettle will tend to scorch.
• Heat the pulp and sugar slowly until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking until the butter thickens. Stir often to prevent scorching When butter is thickened remove from heat and follow test for doneness and processing recommendations for apple butter recipe.

Method 2 - Oven method

• Because fruit butters stick and scorch easily when cooked on top of the stove, the oven provides an easy way of cooking that requires less watching. Pour pureed fruit mixture in shallow oven safe baking pans Place in a warm (275°F.) oven. As the butter bakes, stir occasionally to prevent a film from forming on the surface. When the butter is thick, but still moist on top, remove from oven. Follow test for doneness and processing recommendations for apple butter recipe.

Method 3 - Microwave cooking

• The microwave oven saves time when making fruit butters and prevents scorching. Use the cook-and-stir method used as for making sauces and puddings. It is important to work with small batches at a time. Be sure to select a large container for cooking so the mixture won’t boil over. Remember to stir the mixture often when it is cooking.
• The recipe for microwave apple butter (page 4) can be used as a guide for determining how long to cook butters in the microwave.
• Note: Less moisture is needed when making the pulp in microwave because there is little chance of scorching, so the thickening process will take less time than when using conventional cooking methods.
• When the butter is thick enough follow the test for doneness and processing recommendations for apple butter recipe (below).

Method 4 - Slow cooker option

• You can make your fruit butter in the slow cooker on low setting. Depending on size of cooker and amount of butter, it will take approximately 8-10 hours. The slow cooker needs to be watched and stirred occasionally to prevent scorching. Keep the lid ajar so the moisture can evaporate. The butter will thicken the last few hours. Follow test for doneness and processing recommendations.

Test for doneness

• The butter is ready when it rounds slightly on the spoon and has glossiness or sheen OR
• chill a plate and put a spoon full on the chilled plate. It should hold its shape and there should not be a separation of liquid.

Processing the butter

• Pack cooked butters immediately into hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
• When cool, test seal, remove bands and store in a cool, dry, dark location. Butters can also be frozen or stored for short periods of time in the refrigerator.

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Apple butter

• 8 lbs. apples
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups vinegar
• 2¼ cups white sugar
• 2¼ cups packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground cloves

Yield: About 9 to 10 pints

Procedure

1. Wash, remove stems, quarter and core fruit.
2. Cook slowly in cider and vinegar until soft.
3. Press fruit through a colander, food mill, or strainer.
4. Cook fruit pulp with sugar and spices, stirring frequently.

To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a cold plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning.

Fill hot into sterile* half-pint or pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Quart jars need not be presterilized.

*Products processed less than 10 minutes should be filled into sterile empty jars. To sterilize empty jars, put them right side up on the rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil 10 minutes at elevations of less than 1,000 ft. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 ft. elevation. Remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a time. Save the hot water for processing filled jars.

Fill jars with food, add lids, and tighten screw bands. Process according to the recommendations below.

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Table 1. Recommended process time for Apple butter in a boiling-water canner (hot pack).

Jar size: half-pints or pints
Process time at elevations of:

• 0 - 1,000 ft – 5 minutes
• 1,001 - 6,000 ft - 10 minutes
• Above 6,000 ft - 15 minutes

Jar size: quarts
Process time at elevations of:

• 0 - 1,000 ft – 10 minutes
• 1,001 - 6,000 ft - 15 minutes
• Above 6,000 ft - 20 minutes

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2015.

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Microwave apple butter

• 8 medium apples, quartered and cored
• 1 cup of apple cider or juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves

In a 2 quart glass casserole combine the apples and cider. Cover and microwave 8-10 minutes on high power. Stir every 3 minutes until the apples are soft. Press the cooked apples through a food mill or sieve to puree.

Return mixture to casserole dish and add sugar and spices. Microwave uncovered 10-15 minutes on high power. Note: Power can be reduced 50% on high wattage ovens. Stir often until the mixture thickens. Hint: Cover dish with paper towel to prevent spattering. Time may vary with different microwaves Pour cooked butter into hot jars, following processing and storage recommendations outlined under processing Butters.

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Pear butter

Ingredients

• 2 quarts pear pulp (about 20 medium, fully ripe pears)
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cut pears into quarters and remove cores. Cook until soft, adding only enough water to prevent sticking (about ½ cup). Press through a sieve or food mill. Measure pulp.

Add remaining ingredients and cook until thick, about 15 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. (Refer to doneness tests described above.) Pour hot butter into hot sterilized jars*, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. (Adjust process times for high altitudes.)

*Method for sterilizing jars found under apple butter recipe.

Remove canner from heat and remove canner lid. Wait five minutes before removing jars. Makes about 4 half-pint jars.

Recipe from So Easy to Preserve, 6th Edition.

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Related articles

• Fruit Pie Filling
• Low Sugar Jams & Jellies/Fruit Spreads
• Canned Lemon Curd

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Source: OSU Master Food Preserver Program.