CANNING RECIPES

Plum Apple Butter

Updated

A small-batch, spiced plum apple butter simmered on the stovetop until thick and deep purple, made for the refrigerator or freezer with no canning required.

Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr
Total
2 hr 15 min
Yield
About 1 1/4 cups
Illustration of Plum Apple Butter

Plums and tart apples cook down together with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of cloves into a smooth, spreadable fruit butter with a striking purple color. The plums bring tang and color, and the apples add body so the butter sets up thick without any added pectin.

This autumn recipe from the KitchenSimplicity archive is a good way to use up a few ripe plums. It makes a single jar, so there is no canning equipment involved; keep it in the fridge for toast, oatmeal and cheese boards, or tie a ribbon on the jar and bring it as a hostess gift.

Tips

  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or freeze in a freezer-safe container (leave 1/2 inch of headspace) for up to 6 months.
  • This small batch is meant for the fridge or freezer, not for shelf storage. For water-bath canned fruit butter, follow a tested recipe and processing time from the USDA or the National Center for Home Food Preservation rather than adapting this one.
  • Stir more often toward the end of cooking, when the thick butter is most likely to scorch and spatter.
  • Double the batch in a wider pot if you have extra plums; the simmering time may run a little longer.

Plum Apple Butter

Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr
Total
2 hr 15 min
Yield
About 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 medium plums (or 4 small), pitted and quartered
  • 2 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and quartered
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground cloves

Steps

  1. Combine the plums, apples and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the fruit is completely soft.
  2. Puree the fruit until smooth, either right in the pan with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor. If using a countertop blender, let the fruit cool for a few minutes first and vent the lid so steam can escape.
  3. Return the puree to the saucepan and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
  4. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the butter is thick and glossy. It is ready when a spoonful dropped on a cold plate holds a mound with no ring of liquid around it. Partially cover the pan if it starts to spatter.
  5. Let the butter cool completely, then spoon it into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate.

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