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Old-Fashioned Berry Butter

Source of Recipe

From "Beginner's Guide to Canning" by Diane Devereaux


Recipe Introduction

"This old-fashioned butter can be used anywhere you appreciate a spread. It also works well with fresh fruit when making upside-down cakes and cobblers and is an excellent addition to a yogurt parfait."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ pounds blueberries (4 ¼ cups)
â—¦ 1 pound raspberries (4 cups)
â—¦ 1 pound blackberries (3 cups)
â—¦ ½ cup water
â—¦ 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
â—¦ 2 cups sugar


Recipe

In a large pot, cover the jars with hot water, add 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. In a smaller pot, add lids and rings, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, and water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

In a large stockpot, combine the blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the berries become soft. Remove from heat and let cool.

Working in batches, run the mixture through a sieve or a food mill. Discard the skins and seeds. Transfer the berries to a clean heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the sugar and stir. Slowly cook and stir the berry mixture over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

Place the hot jars on a cutting board. Using a funnel, ladle the hot butter into the jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional butter if necessary to maintain the ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand-tighten.

Place the jars in the water bather, ensuring each jar is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar to the water and turn the heat to high. Bring the canner to a boil and process both pints and half-pints for 5 minutes. Be sure not to start your timer until the water is at a full rolling boil. After processing, wait 5 minutes before removing the jars from the canner.

Makes 5 pints or 10 half-pints