Slow-Cooker Blueberry Butter

Name: Slow-Cooker Blueberry Butter
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 3 1-PINT JARS
Ingredients: 8 cups puréed blueberries (about 3 dry quarts/1.7kg blueberries); 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar; Zest and juice of 1 lemon; 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Serves
makes 3 1-PINT JARS

STEVE LEGATO FOR RUNNING PRESS

This recipe comes from Marisa McClellan’s cookbook Food in Jars, a July 2012 pick in SAVEUR’s roundup of the best culinary ebooks. Of the recipe, Marisa says “Though I’ve been a lifelong fan of blueberry jam, it was only very recently that I took a stab at making blueberry butter. The result is just wonderful: Less sweet and sticky than a traditional jam, it ends up tasting like blueberry pie in a jar.”

Ingredients

8 cups puréed blueberries (about 3 dry quarts/1.7kg blueberries)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

ADVERTISEMENTAD

Instructions

Step 1

Put the puréed bluberries in a 4-quart capacity slow cooker. Cover and turn it to low. After it has cooked for 1 hour, remove the lid and stir. From this point forward, you will want to keep the lid slightly cracked. Propping it open with a wooden spoon or chopstick allows the steam to escape.

Step 2

This butter will need between 4 and 8 hours in the slow cooker. The time varies depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks. Check the butter at least once an hour to check the progress.

Step 3

In the final hour, add the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and spices. If you want to speed the evaporation, remove the lid and turn the cooker to high. If you do this, make sure to check and stir the butter every 10 minutes to prevent scorching.

Step 4

When the butter is nearing completion, prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular mouth 1-pint/500ml jars according. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Step 5

Once it is as thick as ketchup and spreadable, determine whether you like a chunky or smooth butter. Purée the butter for a smoother texture; for a slight chunkiness, leave it as it is.

Step 6

Turn the slow cooker off and ladle the butter into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

This recipe was first published in Food in Jars (May 22, 2012), and appears courtesy of Running Press.