Apricot Butter

Apricot Butter it is delicious like any type of fruit butter. Smooth in texture clean taste. It is different than regular jam in my humble opinion.

All butters are easy to make they just are a little more time consuming in the cooking process. Like a good soup they take a bit more time. So let us get started.

The ingredients could not be simpler. I took my recipe from the Ball Blue Book. The book calls out that it makes 3 pints I make my jams in half pints because it seem to be just enough to not get bored with the flavor and just enough to finish and move on to the next jar of jam.





Ingredients = 5 to 6 half pints

2 pounds of apricots (24 pieces of fruit)
3 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon








I do not peel my apricot but like most of my jams I keep as much of the fruit as possible.









The reason is two fold

• It is a pain in the ass to peel most fruit

• There are essential vitamin I want from those skins in my jams

• Natural Pectin is in a lot of those peel's

So I chop up my apricots and simmer then in a large pot with a half cup of water. Simmer them until they are soft.  I then run mine through a food mill.











This is a funny step because if you put it through the Food Mill then it does become a bit more liquefied. So keeping it on a more firm/thickish side is not an easy task.  I have found the longer I preserve food  the more I learn and I find ways to avoid runny jams. It really is a hit and miss with this skill. Time is our best teacher.

Moving on the you will need a cup and a half to two cups of apricot pulp.Now put your apricot pulp and sugar back into the pot and simmer until it thickens. This is a slow and you must be patient. As you mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pot. Add your lemon juice and ladle hot butter into you warm, sterilized jars.

Leave a 1/4" head space. Wipe down the rim of the jars and adjust and place you two piece caps.

Process them in a HOT Water bath for 10 minutes.

 Remove you jar.s and let them cool overnight.

Once cool remove the twist cap and wipe jars completely so they are squeaky clean and store in a cool spot. Do label them with the jam and date canned.

 Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Agricultural Extension Service for additional information and available classes.