Fruit Butter

 

     I love carving pumpkins. It’s a family tradition, every October we each get a pumpkin and get to be creative with it. But what do you do with all the pumpkin guts when it’s all over? Cook it of course!

     I thought you might enjoy my recipe for Pumpkin Butter. It’s a crowd favorite every Fall, and can be frozen for use throughout the year. And since we’re on the topic, I figured I’d share a few other fruit butter recipes as well. After all, they’re a great way to sneak a little extra nutrition into your daily routine.


1. Pumpkin Butter is one of my favorite “jams” throughout the year. And I love to kick it up a bit by adding my secret ingredient, cardamom. I eat this on toast, waffles, crepes, and even ice cream. Try adding it to your favorite quick bread recipes to add a bit of moisture and flavor to them. This recipe is not suggested for canning, but freezing it works super well.

Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients

2 15 oz cans Pumpkin Puree (Or make your own)

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Apple Cider

½ teaspoon Ginger, ground

½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

¼ teaspoon Allspice, ground

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

*optional ¼ teaspoon Cardamom, ground

Instructions:
     Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Turn on LOW and cook for one hour. Stir and then cook for another 2 hours, with the lid partially open. Stir the butter every once in a while. It is done when it is reduced by about half, and thick enough to run your spoon across the bottom without the pumpkin running back into the space. Crock pots vary a bit, so your butter might take a little more or less time. Serve warm or cool. It will keep for about 10 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.



2. And here we have the most commonly found fruit butter, at least here in the South. Apple Butter is one of my go-to’s for spreading onto my toast, but it’s so good for so many things. Try on top of your favorite cheesecake (you can also drizzle some caramel with it), spoon a bit onto your Latkes (potato pancakes), even throw some into your baked sweet potatoes. This recipe is not suggested for canning, but freezing it works super well. 

Apple Butter

Ingredients

3 pounds Apples

½ cup Sugar

½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

¼ teaspoon Allspice, ground

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

Instructions:
     Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir well. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Remove the lid, and stir until the apples fall apart. Continue cooking with the lid off for 30-60 minutes, until the apple butter thickens slightly. Crock pots vary a bit, so your butter might take a little more or less time. Serve warm or cool. It will keep for about 10 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.
   


3. What’s better than a tropical vacation? Lounging on the beach, breathing in that ocean air? This fruit butter brings a little of that tropical feel right into your very own kitchen. Monkey Butter is made with Bananas, Pineapple, and Coconut, so it’s like having a taste of the tropics with every bite. Try it over ice cream, on some crepes, or just spread onto your toast in the morning. If you don’t like coconut, you can use ground cashews instead, or simply leave it out. Be careful though, this recipe is not one that you can easily can for long term storage. Try freezing it instead.

Monkey Butter

Ingredients

4 very ripe Bananas, thinly sliced

1 pound Pineapple, cored and crushed

1 cup Sugar

3 tablespoons Unsweetened Coconut, ground

3 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Instructions:
     Combine all of the ingredients in a large nonstick pan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the banana has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly (about 15 to 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Serve warm or chilled. Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks or 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.



4. This may be the easiest of these recipes, and super tasty. Feel free to use whatever berries you have on hand, the berries I’ve suggested are just a good, standard mix. This recipe can be altered slightly for canning, but I like to keep it simple and just freeze it.

Honey Berry Butter

Ingredients

1 cup Strawberries

1 cup Blueberries

½ cup Blackberries

½ Cherries, pitted

3 teaspoons Chia Seeds, ground

½ cup Honey

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

Instructions:
     In a food processor, purée the berries and chia seeds then transfer to a saucepan. Add the honey and the lemon juice and boil the mixture, stirring until it is thickened. Let the strawberry mixture cool to room temperature. Let the butter stand, covered, in a cool place for 1 hour to allow the flavor to develop. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve warm or chilled. Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks or 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.



5. I love peaches and lavender, this recipe combines both! And they taste so amazing together. If you want to switch it up a bit, you can use any stone fruit in place of peaches (apricot, plumb, etc) or any aromatic herb (mint, basil, chamomile, etc). Some other great combinations may be Chamomile Plumb, Mango Mint, Mixed Stone Fruit with Ginger, or Cherry Basil. Play around with it, make some tasty combinations!

Lavender Peach Butter

Ingredients

4 lbs Peaches, peeled and pitted

1 cup Honey (or Agave Nectar)

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Apple Juice

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons food grade Lavender

Instructions:
     Place lavender buds in cheesecloth, and tie up the bundle. Bring peaches, lavender, and water to boil in a large stainless steel pot over medium high heat. Reduce heat and continue cooking until peaches are soft. Taste periodically to check strength of lavender flavor, and remove the cheesecloth bundle when you’re happy. Depending on how you feel about lavender, that may be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend peaches until texture is uniform (or use a food processor). Measure out six cups of peach puree for the butter. (You can use the rest for jam or you can add it to a refreshing cocktail or lemonade) Combine puree, lemon juice, honey, and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat, and keep stirring! Be careful and keep a close eye on this so that it doesn’t burn. When your butter starts to thicken and sticks to the spoon, it’s ready to can. Process for 15 minutes, or according to jar size. Serve warm or chilled. Can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks or 6 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze it, leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each jar for expansion as it freezes.




     As always, I hope you enjoy these recipes. Feel free to play around with the ingredients and let me know what you think below!



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