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Jams, jellies, and preserves are all a variation on the combination of fruit and pectin to create a wonderful spread. The difference between each is the form and function the fruit takes:

Jelly is made from fruit juice and has none of the “pieces.”
Jam is created from crushed fruit and thus, has a pulpy texture.
Preserves have chunks of fruit.

I’m going to throw in another category that many may not be used to: fruit butter! This is a completely different concept for preserving fruit but has become one of my personal favorites. It’s thick, smooth, sweet, and utterly delectable. As a bonus, it’s easy and fast, with a nearly foolproof recipe consisting of just two ingredients:

4 cups fruit
4 cups sugar

This can be adapted to any measurement or amount of fruit you have. Just make sure to remember the mantra of equal parts sugar to fruit and you’re ready! This may sound too good to be true but it isn’t. Fruit butter will be a different consistency than the jams and jellies you may be accustomed to. While jelly has an almost gelatin quality, fruit butter is somewhat thinner but packed with so much more of the fruit flavors.

Four glass jars filled with apricot butter on a dark black surface

NOTE: This recipe can be adapted for many different fruits. I find it best for grape butter, apricot butter, and peach butter.

You cannot have a more easy or simple way to preserve your fruit for use as spreads and in recipes. This apricot butter is a great way to prolong the best part of the summer season: the bounty the earth provides. Just a warning, though: your friends will want to know where to find it and you’ll have the privilege of showing off your kitchen skills. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, make sure to leave me a comment and a rating of the recipe so I know how it worked out for you! You can also tag me on Instagram with a picture of the final product.

Apricot Butter

By Kaleb

4.41 from 5 votes

In this fruit butter, apricots and sugar combine to form a sweet, jam-like spread. Two ingredients have never tasted so good together!

Prep: 15

Cook: 1

Total: 1 15

Servings: jam jars

Orange-colored apricot butter in four glass jars sitting on a black surface

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Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 4 cups sliced apricots unpeeled
▢ 4 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

To start, clean and prepare the fruit. Halve the fruit and remove pits and any abrasions, leaving the peel intact. This is where the flavor comes from. Measure fruit by pressing it into a measuring cup. Do not simply lay fruit in or the measurements will not be accurate.
4 cups sliced apricots
Dump fruit in a heavy-bottomed kettle and add an equal amount of sugar.
4 cups granulated sugar
Turn the heat to medium and stir contents to bring out the natural juices and dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture come to a boil. Bring to a rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down), letting the mixture begin to foam.
Once at a rolling boil, set a timer for 20 minutes. Stir and let boil. While boiling, watch the mixture carefully as it will rise and eventually fall, cooking down and causing the foam to dissipate.
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat. Pour directly into a conical strainer that has been placed in a container; a 9×13 pan works well. This will hold the butter as it runs out the bottom of the strainer.
A conical strainer may be a new utensil for you but is a very tried-and-true multi-purpose canning tool.
Use a wooden pestle in a circular motion to push the apricot butter through the strainer. Only a small amount of peel and other remnants will be left in the strainer once it has been vigorously pushed through.
Stir the fruit butter and pour directly into sanitized jam jars.
Next, either can or use the wax method to seal the jars. To use the wax method, melt wax on a low-heat burner and pour over apricot butter. Lightly swirl to create a seal.

Notes

When using the wax method, this apricot butter can be kept in a refrigerator or freezer for up to a year.
I also used the wax method in my strawberry jam recipe, so make sure to hop on over there to watch a demonstration of this method.
You can also can this apricot butter. Make sure to watch my canning 101 video and my canned grape butter recipe for more!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tbspCalories: 53 kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!

Sugar pouring on top of pile of apricots sitting in kettle on the stove — Add sugar on top of halved peaches before heating on the stove.

Cooked apricots in liquid in a kettle on the stove — Let apricot and sugar mixture come to a rolling bowl on stove.

Boiling apricot butter liquid in black kettle on the stove — Once at a rolling bowl, let boil for 20 minutes.

Apricot butter mixture being poured into a conical strainer set over a 9x13 pan — Pour into a conical strainer to strain out all excess skins and other pieces.

Apricot butter mixture sitting in a conical strainer with wooden pestle all over a 9x13 pan catching all liquid — Use a wooden pestle to strain out all apricot butter mixture.

Apricot butter mixture spilling out of bottom of conical strainer into a 9x13 silver metal pan — Let apricot butter mixture drip out of the bottom of the conical strainer into the 9 x 13-inch pan.

19 Comments

Barbara Jane Thomas says:

July 26, 2025 at 2:49 pm

My apricot butter came out really thin, very runny. Is there any way to thicken my butter, now that I have already put it in jars.

1. Kaleb Wyse says:
  
  July 26, 2025 at 3:09 pm
  
  Hi Barbara! Apricot butter (or any fruit butter) should be a nice, spreadable texture. When it is warm off the stove or from canning, it will be thin, similar to water when it’s hot. When it has fully cooled, it should be at the correct, spreadable consistency. I hope this helps!
  
Kathy Grigsby says:

July 25, 2025 at 9:07 am

How long do I have the jars in the water bath? I don’t see where it says.

Michelle says:

July 22, 2025 at 6:44 pm

How long does the apricot butter last once canned? Shelf life I mean.
Gonna give this recipe a try.