How to Can Persimmon Butter

Persimmon butter is easily canned at home for convenience.

The persimmon fruit, which resembles a tomato, is a sweet and tangy fruit that serves as an interesting addition to jellies, jams and a wide array of other treats. Homemade canned persimmon butter is an easy recipe to prepare. When you can homemade persimmon butter, you can save it for long periods of time to use as you need it, or give it as a thoughtful homemade gift. Persimmon butter is kind of like apple butter in texture, but the taste is fruity, tangy, sweet and exotic.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lbs. diced, skinned persimmon
• 4 qt. stockpot
• Metal strainer
• Potato masher
• 4 cups sugar
• 3 tbsp. baking soda
• Canning jars
• Canning tongs
• 8 qt. stockpot
• Towel

Instructions

1. Turn the stove on medium-low heat. Pour the diced, skinned persimmon into the pot. You can buy it like this in some grocery stores, or skin and dice it yourself. Alternatively, you can simply skin and add the whole persimmon fruits to the pot, but remove the black pitted seeds from the centers of the fruits first.

2. Add the sugar to the pot. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Remove the lid and use the potato masher to smash the simmering mixture into a smooth buttery pulp. Add the baking soda to the pot and smash it into the persimmon pulp thoroughly. This will immediately cause a foaming action. Don't worry, this is what you want it to do.

4. Fill 4 to 8 oz. canning jars full with the foamy persimmon butter. Secure the lids tightly on each jar.

5. Fill a stockpot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Sit each canning jar full of persimmon butter into the water and allow them to boil for five to 15 minutes. This hot water bath technique seals the jars, making them airtight.

6. Remove each can from the pot of water after turning it off. Sit them to cool on a towel to protect your counter top. It takes as long as 10 hours for these super hot cans of persimmon butter to cool adequately. Once the foam settles, the persimmon butter will be a deep, rich crimson red.

References

• University of Georgia: Home Canning