Spiced Apple and Pear butter is kind of becoming my canning specialty. Fruit butters are great for canning because there’s no messing around with any jelling agents or pressure canning. Just straightforward fruit, sugar, spices, and a water bath canner.
Typically, I cook up a batch of this in the slow cooker over a few days and then can it in 4 or 8 oz jars. This time I canned it in pint jars because that’s what I had handy. The butter can be spread on toast, or used in recipes that call for jam, like these chocolate chip jam bars by my friend Tracy.
Keeping little 4 or 8 oz jars of this around makes for a quick and easy grab as you head out to dinner parties or as something a little extra to throw into a gift bag. I usually put a pretty label and a little satin ribbon on my jars as I move to store them, and then it really is as simple as grabbing them out of the cupboard as I walk out the door to a party.
What’s your favorite thing to can?
Spiced Apple and Pear Butter
adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
4 lbs apples (I used a myriad of types: Empire, Jonagold, and Fuji)
2 lbs pears (Again, I used a myriad: Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou)
2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. sweet apple cider
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker set on low. No need to peel or core, but I do recommend removing any stems from the apples and pears. Everything will cook down over the next few days. Stir 2 to 3 times a day just to make sure you’ve still got plenty of liquid and nothing is going to burn. On day 2, (by this time, your house smells A_MAZING), use an immersion blender to create a smooth puree. Allow to cook for another day on low, or a few hours on high to reduce down so that the flavors become pronounced.
To can, prepare canner, jars and lids. Ladle the hot butter into the jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Tap a knife into the jar 2-3 times to remove any air bubbles. Clean the rim of the jar using a damp and clean paper towel. Center the lid on the jar and screw the band down.
Place jars in the boiling water of the canner, making sure they’re completely covered. Bring to a boil again, and allow to process for 10 minutes with lid on canner. Remove the lid of the canner and allow to process 5 minutes more. Remove jars, allowing them to cool overnight. Do not move, tip, or wipe the jars until the next day.
This recipe makes approximately 48 oz. of apple pear butter. I got 3 pint jars (16 oz each) out of the recipe.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I have made pear butter before and it was so good. I bet the apple pear combo is awesome!
Apple butter is one of my most favorite things!!!! I have never had it homemade…I bet this is so good!!
Oh nom nom nom…. :)
Yum! I love canning… Just yesterday I was thinking about how I need to start using up everything I canned last summer so that I can start canning again when warmer weather arrives.
I will definitely bookmark this one… Looks perfect for gifts!
I’m the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It’s sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I’d love for you to submit this to the site. Good stuff!
This looks delicious! I need to get back into canning, haven’t done it in probably 10 years. I used to be a salsa canning queen. Now I just beg a few jars off my mom. :)
Love this!! LOVE a great homemade butter!
You need to teach me how to can, but first, send me some of this butter! :)
I love how easy this is to make, makes me wish I had a slow cooker!
My Yanni adores apple butter! Can’t wait ti try this!
Having been one of the lucky samplers of this butter, I can say for a fact that it is amazingly delicious! I’ve only ever made plain apple butter before, and now I don’t think I can go back!
What are the chances that both you and Tracy would have your canning posts up today? I doubt it will be long before we crack open the jar of your apple pear butter.
I so want to try this! I have a few questions, as this sort of thing is COMPLETELY new to me. What happens to the apple and pear seeds? And if the liquid is running low, should I add water, or more cider?
Hey Jacki,
The seeds and skin literally soften to the point that when you puree them, they become part of the overall butter, adding a lot of vitamins and fiber to the butter without compromising the taste or texture. Some of the seeds will even break down to the point of dissolving completely.
I guarantee you will not run out of liquid, but you can always add more cider if you feel the butter has gotten too thick for your liking. I’ve never run out of liquid, but I have had to add corn starch before because some of the apples I used were more juicy than I expected.
Let me know how it goes!
Thanks so much! I’m definitely going to give this a shot. The first (and last) thing I ever canned was turkey broth that I made after this past Thanksgiving. I’m not even sure if it worked, because I got scared and stored the jars in my fridge. Then I used them within 2 months. This will be my second attempt at canning, and hopefully I’ll feel more confident. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Also, how much did you get from this recipe? Wondering how many jars I should have prepped.
Jacki, I can’t believe I forgot to put that in the post, I totally meant to! I got 3 pint jars (16 oz each) out of this recipe, so 48 oz total.
Amanda, I could just jump right through the screen and take a big bite of that toast! It looks absolutely delicious!
I haven’t made anything like this before, but I’m so going to give this a go! It sounds delicious!
this looks so lovely! and i love how easy it is to make it in my slow cooker. thanks for sharing this.
I bet this is a fantastic flavor combination. Delicious, Amber!
Any thoughts on how much water to substitute for apple cider?
Aimee, I would not replace apple cider in this recipe. The butter would not taste right, nor would there be an appropriate amount of natural sugar and pectin in the recipe to create a “fruit butter”. Thanks for stopping by!
I want to make a huge batch of this. I just bought a lug of apples. Can this recipe be doubled even Tripled or more?
Susan, for some reason I only just came across this question. Yes, you can easily double or triple this recipe. I’m sorry it took me so long to respond!
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