Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds Apricots for 2 quarts pulp
- 4 cups Sugar
- 1 teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
Instructions
Making Fruit Pulp
- Wash and blanch apricots to peel. Remove pits.
- Combine apricots and 1/2 cup water. Simmer until fruit is soft.
- Puree using a food processor or food mill Measure out 2 quarts of pulp.
Making Fruit Butter
- After you have your pulp, combine fruit pulp, sugar, and desired spices.
- The basic fruit butter recipe is this combination: 2 quarts pulp, 4 cups sugar, spices to taste
Cooking Fruit Butter
- Simply place your fruit, sugar, and spice mixture in the cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or so. This gets things heated up faster. Stir and set on low. At this point, I leave the lid ajar to allow moisture to escape. The butter thickens sooner this way. Allow the mixture to cook, stirring occasionally as the fruit gets softer. Finish off with a whisk for a smooth product. This can cook overnight if you have a cooker that will not heat up too much. In my experience, new slow cookers cook too high to be left that long and will end up scorching. My old cooker works great.
- Cook ingredients on very low and stir often. The fruit may scorch if you are not careful. This would be the least efficient way to do this, in my opinion.
- If you want to cook it in the oven, use a wide pan and bake on low at 275°F. A glass baking dish works well. I would avoid aluminum as you may end up with that flavor in your butter. Check often, stirring occasionally. This might be anywhere from 2–3 hours...or more. It varies a lot according to your fruit and how juicy it is.
Canning Fruit Butter
- Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed. See full water bath canning instructions here.
- Fill jar, leaving 1/4” headspace.
- Remove air bubbles, wipe rim clean, and place seal and ring.
- Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the canner.When all the jars are filled, bring the water in the canner to a boil. When a boil is reached that is when you'll start your timing. Process for the length of time on the chart below. Adjust for your altitude. After your time is over, turn the heat off remove the lid and allow the canner to rest for about 5 minutes. Then bring your jars up out of the water. Allow them to rest for another 5 minutes. Then remove the jars and place them a few inches apart on a thick towel to cool completely. Leave them alone for about 12 hours. When they are cooled remove the metal bands, check the seals, label the jars and store them away!
Notes
Processing with a Water Bath Canner
Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars placing them in the canner.
When all the jars are filled, bring the water in the canner to a boil. When a boil is reached that is when you'll start your timing. Process for the length of time on the chart below. Adjust for your altitude.
After your time is over, turn the heat off remove the lid and allow the canner to rest for about 5 minutes. Then bring your jars up out of the water. Allow them to rest for another 5 minutes. Then remove the jars and place them a few inches apart on a thick towel to cool completely. Leave them alone for about 12 hours.
When they are cooled remove the metal bands, check the seals, label the jars and store them away!
Processing Times for Half Pints and Pints in Water Bath (Hot Pack)
Source: Ball Blue Book, Oregon State Extension
Last Updated: 6/28/2021
- 0-1,000 ft - 10 minutes
- 1,001-3,000 ft - 15 minutes
- 3,001-6,000 ft - 20 minutes
- 6,001-8,000 ft - 25 minutes
- 8,001-10,000 ft - 30 minutes
Source: Ball Blue Book, Oregon State Extension
Last Updated: 6/28/2021
Servings: 4 pints