Hmmm what to do if you don't have pectin, don't want to make it, and can't afford to buy it...

I have the answer!  Whoot!  Whoot!  Drum roll please......  Fruit Butter!  HAPPY DANCE! 

So....apparently you can take certain fruits and make fruit butters.  Everyone knows about Apple butter.  But what about Strawberry, Blackberry, Blueberry, Peach.  Me thinks aside from my yearly batch of beet jelly, I think I am going to simply do different varieties of fruit butters. 

Berry (any type) Fruit Butter

1 quart of berries
1 cup sugar
1 TBS Lemon Juice


Simmer your berries just until soft.  Strawberries take very little time.  Once soft, mash with a potato masher or pulse in a food processor.  Put in a food mill if you want to get rid of seeds.  Then take your fruit pulp, the sugar, and lemon juice and mix them together in a sauce pan.  Just let it all simmer until it thickens enough to mound on a spoon.  Voila!

For Apple, Pear, or Peach butter


2 cups pulp (unsweetened apple, peach, or pear sauce)
4 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

*** for the peach butter try 1/2 tsp nutmeg.***


Put it all in a pot and let it simmer until really thick. 

Now if you want to can this up; it is possible.  You have to sterilize you jars, heat your lids rings, put the hot butter into the jar.  Wipe the rims, put on the lids and rings and process 10 min ina water bath canner.  However, I just stuck mine in a Tupperware dish in the fridge cause I am sure it will go fast.  And it has.

Now to tread into dangerous territory......

Fruit Bars (I wouldn't recommend this for dieters FYI)

1 1/2 cups Quick oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
3/4 cup butter (or margarine, but butter is better)
1 cup fruit butter (you can use preserves, but I like the fruit butter better)

Mix up all of your dry ingredients.  Cut in butter/margarine well.  Press 2/3 of the crumb mixture in a 9x13 pan.  Spread the fruit butters over it all then sprinkle the rest of the crumb topping over the top.  Bake 350 for 25 min.

Fair warning...these are really addictive and don't think you can freeze them to stay out of them. 


Yea... I thought that and found out they are really good straight from the freezer.  YUM!