Mango Butter

Mango Butter
8 cups peeled and chopped ripe mango
3 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon grated fresh lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place mangoes in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mangoes are very soft. (Since mangoes are usually very juicy, you needn’t add any water unless the mixture starts to stick; then add up to 1/2 cup, a little at a time, as necessary.) When the mangoes are cooked, remove from heat; purée in a blender or food processor, working carefully in batches. Return purée to pan. Add sugar, ginger, lime zest, lime juice and cinnamon; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Cap and process in a 10-minute boiling water bath.

Yields 4 ( 1/2-pint) jars.

Approximate nutrition information per tablespoon: 56 calories; trace fat (1 percent calories from fat); no cholesterol; trace protein; 15g carbohydrate; 0.5g fiber; 4mg sodium

Fruit Butter

Fruit Butter
Preparing Fruit for Butters
Apples: Peel, core and slice or quarter. Cook with half a much water or apple cider as fruit or use a combination of the two liquids.

Apricots: Skin, pit and crush fruit. Cook in its own juice or one-fourth as much water as fruit. Orange juice is also tasty.

Cantaloupe: Seed and peel, retaining juice. Chop or purée pulp. Cook in its own juice.

Crabapples: Quarter. Cook in one-fourth as much water as fruit.

Grapes: Remove stems, crush and cook in own juice.

Mangoes: Use half-ripe mangoes. Peel and slice. Add 1 to 2 cups of water to every 6 cups of sliced fruit. Cook until soft enough to mash.

Nectarines: Peel and pit. Crush or slice fruit and cook in its own juice.

Peaches: Peel and pit. Crush or slice fruit and cook in its own juice.

Pears: Remove stems and blossom ends. Quarter and cook with half as much water a fruit.

Plums: Halve or quarter; pit. Crush and cook in own juice. With very small plums, pits will strain out.

Prunes (dried): Pit and cook prunes in a little water until soft.

Quince: Remove stem and blossom ends; cut into small pieces and cook with half as much water as fruit.

Rhubarb: Chop. Cook with 1/2 cup water to every 2 pounds fruit.

Method
Wash and prepare fruit as directed above. You may use any quantity of fruit and/or mixture of fruits desired. Cook fruit with water or in its own juice in large pot until soft. Remove fruit from pan with a slotted spoon and put through a food mill or press through a fine sieve into bowl. Discard cooking liquid.

Measure sieved pulp. Add 1/2 cup white or brown sugar to each cup pulp. Brown sugar darkens butters made from light fruits and adds a more pronounced flavor. Add flavorings of your choice. Add a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of ground allspice and cloves per quart of fruit butter. For pears, 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon ginger per quart of butter is good. For a light-colored butter, tie whole spices loosely in a cheesecloth bag, removing it after the butter is cooked.

Place fruit butter in a shallow (not more than 2 inches deep) glass, stainless steel or enameled baking pan. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until butter is thick and has a spreadable consistency. To test for doneness, place a spoonful on a chilled saucer. If no rim of liquid forms around edge of butter, it is done. Quickly ladle into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter
3 1/2 cups fresh ground pumpkin or canned pumpkin purée
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 lemon, juice and grated rind
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice

If using fresh pumpkin, mix with sugar, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature 8 to 10 hours

Transfer to a heavy saucepan, add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for 40 to 60 minutes, to desired consistency. (With canned pumpkin, mix ingredients in heavy saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer on low about 20 minutes, to thicken.)

Pour mixture into hot, sterile, 6-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with sterile, 2-part lids and rings, as manufacturer directs, processing 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool; adjust seals.

Makes five 6-ounce jars.

Crockpot Caramel Apple Butter

Crockpot Caramel Apple Butter
Posted by Cookin’ Dad 8/3/2001 7:21 am

Source: Posted by Ginny – 22 January 2001 4:38 p.m. TSR New Board

I made this last Sunday evening after not having had apple butter for over 20 years. This is a killer recipe! The robust flavor of this stuff is absolutely irresistible! My kids and another American friend from Indiana also loved this stuff.

When I took my first bite of your apple butter, memories of time spent at my late grandmother’s house in Tyler, TX flooded my mind. She used to make GREAT preserves and apple butter, but I think this recipe is better than her apple butter and very easy to make. Thank you so much for posting and bringing back so many good memories of my grandmother. Regards, Cookin’ Dad

P.S. I’ll bet this stuff would be great even without the caramels! Also, I peeled and boiled my apples for a few minutes before pureeing them in food processor.

Puree about 3 pounds of apples (heat, peel, steam, food mill, blender or whatever). Place 7 cups of it in crockpot with about 2 cups of white sugar to taste depending upon the variety of apples used. For a large crock, you can double this. Cook the pulp down to a butter consistency (about 3 to 4 hours). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 21 caramels. Check the temperature. I like to get it up to 165 degrees F, but the minimum is 140 degrees F. If your crock does not get hot enough, transfer it to a pan and heat it on the stove.

Can leaving 1/2-inch head space and water bath – pints for 10 minutes and 1/2 pints for 5 minutes. Hide the finished product from the salivating hordes that will be pounding down your door.

Spiced Apple Butter

Spiced Apple Butter

Make this apple butter can be cooked on the stovetop or in a slower oven.
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds, juicy tart apples, about 12 to 15
1 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
2 1/2 cups sugar, approximately, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
PREPARATION:
Core and peel apples; cut into eighths. Put apple wedges and cider in a heavy enameled kettle over medium heat. Cook ontil soft, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. When cooled enough to handle, put apple mixture through a sieve or food mill.
Add 1/4 cup white or brown sugar for each cup of apple pulp.

Return apple mixture to the kettle and stir in spices. Bring to a gentle boil; cook until sugar is melted.

You can follow directions for cooking the apple butter on the stovetop or in the oven. The stovetop apple butter should be watched very closely and stirred constantly to prevent scorching. The oven method is less apt to scorch, but might develop a caramelized skin, which can be removed.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixure has a sheen and mounds slightly on a spoon. Watch carefully and keep stirring to prevent scorching.

Or, put kettle in a 300° oven and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until mixure has a sheen and mounds slightly on a spoon.

A jelly thermometer will be just under 220° when it is ready. (sea level)

Spoon apple butter into clean hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace for 1/2-pint jars or 1/2-inch of headspace for 1-pint jars. Following jar manufacturer’s instructions, place seals and rings on jars, taking care to keep rims clean with a damp clean cloth. Adjust seals and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Remove jars and adjust rings to seal if necessary.
Makes about 6 pints.