Methods of cooking fruit butter Cook fruit butter using moderate heat. Stir only occasionally to keep a caramelized skin from forming on the top. The oven product is darker and takes longer, but doesn't scorch. Spices optional As the butter begins to thicken, you can add spices. For a lighter colored butter, tie spices loosely in a cloth bag and remove at the end of cooking.
Brown sugar darkens the light fruits and gives a pronounced flavor to bland fruits.
Almond extract in crabapple butter makes an interesting flavor. Test for Thickness Butter is ready to process when it rounds slightly in a spoon and shows a sheen, or when a dab of fruit butter on a plate sets for a few minutes and doesn't show a rim of liquid around the edges. Processing Sterilize the canning jars. Wipe rims, adjust lids and process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Instead of processing, you can freeze the butters.