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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.
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
Equipment
- 4 jam jars
Ingredients
- 4 cups apricots
- 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 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
Great job with this butter, screams fresh and summer!
Thanks Pamela!! So glad you enjoyed it, it really does taste like all the goodness of summer in a spread!!
I made your butter but i didnt sieve out the peelings. I used my immersion blender and blended it all in,
How did that turn out Flo??
I make cookies with apricot butter, and it is always a challenge to find it. Finding a recipe to make it myself is great!
What cookies do you make with apricot butter? Thumbprint cookies?
I use the immersion blender, too. But then i bake to get the thickness i want.
This looks yummy!! Can you use frozen apricots in this recipe?
Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s delicious! I was so excited to find and try this recipe and it did not disappoint. I’ve only ever made freezer jams and was glad this process was easy and the wax seal method was much less daunting than canning. I look forward to eating lots of white bread with butter and apricot butter and reliving fond childhood memories.
Looks good, for a jam recipe. Historically the purpose of a “butter” is to reduce the fruit to let the natural sugar come thru, butters came about because folks didn’t have enough sugar/honey to make jelly/jam.
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Please add phot of how the peach butter looks when spreading. I usually bake mine to get the texture….like a typical apple butter in the store. I have bought some recently that are more like a canned pie filling….which i do not like.
Will be making this week!
Thank you
Vicky
Help…sitting here with the butter in my jars…how long in boiling water bath?help….eeded now….i dont want to ruin 20lbs of fruit tonite
Hi Vicky! If you’re canning it, you should process it for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
I made this recipe for apricot butter last night. The flavor is amazing. I used some of the leftover stirred into vanilla yogurt. So delish! I have a question about the consistency. Mine is like a very thick syrup. It pours slowly, but pours. It’s ok ( and so good) because I’ll use it more for toppings. However, is this correct? Did I cook it long enough?
I’ve made this recipe several times now. I have never strained it. It comes out great every time. Maybe that’s too rustic, but no one has ever noticed.
Thank for sharing this recipe. I’ll use it forever.