Doctorbrady
Well-Known Member
This recipe starts just like my apple sauce recipe. The processing is EXACTLY the same to start. Once you have your apple or pear sauce, you can make them into butter. My recipes differ slightly for the two fruits. Pears are very sweet and rather monotone as a general rule, whereas apples have a wider flavor pallet with the combination of tart and sweet overtones. Consequently, to get a really good pear butter you will need to develop some flavor depth.
Butters can be made in a big pot or a crock pot. I prefer the crock pot as it is easier and less messy. I put my sauce into the crock pot and add spices to taste. Both apple and pear butters should have cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Start with 1/2 a teaspoon of the nutmeg and clove and about a tablespoon of cinnamon per crock for starters. I don't usually measure, but just add to taste. Keep in mind, that flavors will condense down as your butter develops so don't overdue it. On the other hand, butters are supposed to be aromatic and flavor rich. The only difference with my pear butters is that I add ginger, lemon rind, and cardamon to expand depth of flavor. I am also planning on adding a little star anise to this year's batches. Go slow, and build the flavor up as it cooks down.
In the crock pot, the sauce should be cooked on high for about an hour, then turned down to low for 12 hours or so until the sauce develops a DEEP brown color. Finish it off, but moving back to high for an hour. When it is finished, the butter should stand up on the spoon, and not be runny. Can the butter, using the same methods as the sauce. This is great stuff, and worth the extra effort! I find myself making biscuits or peanut butter sandwiches just so that I can eat the butter. Enjoy.
A 5 gallon bucket of fruit will make just over a large crockpot worth of butter in my experience.
Butters can be made in a big pot or a crock pot. I prefer the crock pot as it is easier and less messy. I put my sauce into the crock pot and add spices to taste. Both apple and pear butters should have cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Start with 1/2 a teaspoon of the nutmeg and clove and about a tablespoon of cinnamon per crock for starters. I don't usually measure, but just add to taste. Keep in mind, that flavors will condense down as your butter develops so don't overdue it. On the other hand, butters are supposed to be aromatic and flavor rich. The only difference with my pear butters is that I add ginger, lemon rind, and cardamon to expand depth of flavor. I am also planning on adding a little star anise to this year's batches. Go slow, and build the flavor up as it cooks down.
In the crock pot, the sauce should be cooked on high for about an hour, then turned down to low for 12 hours or so until the sauce develops a DEEP brown color. Finish it off, but moving back to high for an hour. When it is finished, the butter should stand up on the spoon, and not be runny. Can the butter, using the same methods as the sauce. This is great stuff, and worth the extra effort! I find myself making biscuits or peanut butter sandwiches just so that I can eat the butter. Enjoy.
A 5 gallon bucket of fruit will make just over a large crockpot worth of butter in my experience.
