How to Make Fruit Butters Made From Dried Fruit

Dried Apicots

Fruit butters, a delicious and healthier alternative to margarine and butter, are usually made from fresh fruit. However, there are a couple of kinds of fruit butters that are made from dried fruits. The first is called lekvar. Lekvar is a Hungarian fruit butter made from dried prunes and is like fresh fruit butters in that it is stored in sterilized jars. The other fruit butter made from several dried fruits is one that is eaten immediately after being made.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• *For Lekvar:
• Dried apricots
• Water
• Sugar
• Food processor
• Cooking pan
• *For winter dried fruit butter
• Pitted dates
• Pitted prunes
• Apple slices
• Saucepan
• Blender

How to Make Lekvar Dried Fruit Butter

1. Pour one pound of dried apricots in the pan. Add water until they are covered. Allow them to come to a boil then turn the burner down. Leave the apricots to cook, checking on them often. Add more water if they do not stay covered. Cook the apricots until they are soft.

2. Take the apricots off the stove when they are soft. Place the fruit into the food processor and puree them. Return the pureed fruit to the pan. Pour a cup of sugar into the pan with the fruit. Cook on low stirring until the mixture is thick.

3. Finished Apricot Lekvar

   Pour the fruit butter into previously sterilized jars. Stop 1/4 inch from the top of the jar to allow room for expansion. Place a sterilized lid on the jar. Place jars in a water bath and allow them to sit submerged for 10 minutes. Take out and set on a heat proof counter to cool. Once cooled store in a dark dry area.

How to make Winter Dried Fruit Butter

1. Dried Pitted Dates

   Mix two cups of apples, 12 dates and 18 prunes together. Pour mixed fruit into the saucepan with one cup of water. Cover the pan while the water comes to a boil on a burner set to high heat. When the water boils turn the burner to low simmer. Leave the cover on the pan and let the fruit cook by steaming for 10 minutes.

2. Put the fruit in the blender at the end of 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and puree the fruit. Add more water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too thick.

3. Open blender and empty fruit into a dish. Spoon it on hot cereal or spread on muffins, toast and biscuits.

Tips & Warnings

• Dried prunes can be use instead of dried apricots for Lekvar If purees are not sweet enough add a bit more fruit Lekvar can be eaten on toasts and breads but it is more commonly used in baking for cookies, cakes and other pastries.

• Follow directions on canning equipment to sterilize jars properly or bacteria can get into the lekvar fruit butter.

Resources

• How To Dry Fruit
• VegWeb dried fruit butter recipes