How to Make your Own Fruit Butter

Making fruit butter is a good way to keep fruit from going to waste.

Fruit butter is a good way to use an abundance of seasonal fruits. Most fruit butter incorporates only a few ingredients cooked for a long time and reduced to a thick consistency. Many people are familiar with apple butter sold in grocery stores or grandma's recipe, but a number of other fruits are good candidates for fruit butter. Suitable fruits include apples, peaches, pears, grapes, cherries, apricots, plums and pumpkin. Fruit butter is a useful way to use up overripe fruit that might otherwise go to waste. Try combining fruits for interesting flavors.

Things You'll Need

• Fruit
• Sugar
• Water
• Spices
• Food processor or blender
• Slow cooker
• Stove top pot
• Microwaveable glass container
• Wooden spoon
• Jars or storage containers

Instructions

1. Choose a cooking method. You can make fruit butters on the stove, in a microwave or in a slow cooker.

2. Choose the fruit you will use. Wash, peel and remove seeds or core. Cut the fruit into large chunks and toss into a food processor or blender. Add a small amount of water if necessary to make a thick pulp. Drier fruits such as apples and pears will need more water than juicier fruits such as grapes or cherries.

3. Add sugar to the pulp to taste. Start with small amounts of sugar and increase if needed. You can add more sugar toward the end of the cooking process. Add spices if desired, although many people prefer just the taste of the fruit. Cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves give apple butter a warm spicy taste. Almond extract enhances the flavor of cherries. Use pumpkin pie spices in pumpkin butter for a taste treat.

4. Place the sweetened pulp in the cooking container and cook on medium to low heat until thick enough to remain on a spoon when turned upside down. In a slow cooker, this can mean six to eight hours or overnight. Allow the steam to escape so the pulp reduces in volume. Stir occasionally during cooking to keep the butter from scorching.

5. Serve warm fruit butter on toast, cereal or ice cream. Store small quantities in the refrigerator and use them quickly. Freeze portions for longer storage.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make fruit butter in small or large quantities. Smaller quantities of 2 cups or less are suitable for the microwave. Make large amounts on the stove or in a slow cooker.

• For smoother consistency, strain the pulp before cooking, or use a food processor, blender or stick blender on cooked and cooled fruit butter.

• Dried fruit can also be used to make fruit butters.

• Try fruit butter glazes on pastries.

• Canning works well for storing large quantities of fruit butter. Follow canning safety precautions carefully.

References

• "Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-Winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and More"; Linda J. Amendt; 2001