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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Blueberry Butter

Ah, canning season. When all the burners on your stove are on high, your air conditioner whines, and every fan in the house is going, yet they are still not enough to keep you from sweating as you slowly stir you soon to be jarred foods.

Butters are simple, and the flames are kept on low, well at least one of them is. Butters also don't use all the sugar that jams and jellies do. A general rule is, once you have crushed and smoothed out your pulp, measure it, and add 1/2 cup sugar to every 1 cup pulp. Make sure use use a heavy pot and a wooden spoon. Heat mixture on low and cook for a very long time. Did I mention Butters take a long time? Stirring frequently so that it doesn't stick and burn to the bottom of the pan. You are ready to can once it has reached a nice thick spreading constancy.
Poor into hot sterile jars, place in a simmering hot water bath, bring to a boil {this can sometimes take forever} cover and process for 10 minutes. Remove from hot water bath and DO NOT mess with the lids. Allow them to cool completely before touching them. Sometimes the lids are still popped out when you pull them out of the canner. That's ok. Don't force them down, it will work out on its own as long as you processed them correctly.

Now my oldest child managed to take over the batteries to my camera, as soon as I find them I can take photos of the finished product, which looks like a jar of very dark bluish purple goo. So yummy.

I plan on making some more fruit butters today, and maybe get some other canning done, though I doubt that will happen.

What are you canning?

Oh, and Rosemary. Let me clean up my side bar a little and I will get those tags posted. I will leave them up for a few days. Edited to add, that it has been added, but to the bottom of my page. It is rather long.

7 comments:

Cheryl said...

I'm not canning anything at the moment, but have done raspberry and strawberry jam so far this year. It's still fairly early in the growing season for us.
The blueberry butter sounds great!

Tim Appleton (Applehead) said...

you are soo going to make Stephanie Jealous with the blue berries...

Anonymous said...

Anxiously awaiting more linkage!

One question:

I'm moving into my little ranch mid-August and want to start right off with chickens. I've heard though, that they don't lay in the winter. Would you recommend waiting until spring, or get them now to get settled, etc.? This is eastern Colorado, BYW, with chilly seasons but lots of sun, I think.

Thanks! Any help from readers / commenters would be welcomed, as well.

Anonymous said...

OMG! I thought my Mama was the only person in the world who made fruit butters! I love them.
I also love your blog.
Thanks for the rustic bread recipe!
I plan on trying it as soon as I get a chance.

Vonne

ollie1976 said...

never thought about making or having blueberry butter-it must taste wonderful.
-Jen

Anonymous said...

Cheryl, it is very good.

Tim, Blue berries are my favorite

Rosemary, scroll to the bottom of the site. The tags are listed there. As for chickens, they do go through a molting period that stops them from laying, but this doesn't last all winter and you will get eggs. I would get chickens before it gets cold, and keep them in until the weather warms up. I usually order mine in Feb. and get them in late march.

Vonne, thank you. I just recently {in the last few years} started making fruit butters. I bought a jar of pumpkin butter at a local U-pick-it and fell in love. Been making all kinds of them ever since.

Jen, it is. :D

Omelay said...

yummy, this sure looks great.

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