Plum-Rainier Cherry Butter

Ingredients:
4 lb plums, pitted and quartered
8 oz pitted Rainier cherries
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Ingredients:
Place all ingredients in a 4 quart slow cooker, stir. Turn on low and cook overnight (about 8-10 hrs) with the lid slightly askew to allow for some evaporation to occur. The mixture should be thick and paste-like when ready. If the mixture isn't totally smooth, pulse it with an immersion blender. Prep your jars and lids. Pour the butter in the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.


Yield: about 4 8-oz jars

Note: A great source for canning information is the Blue Book guide to preserving. I highly recommend it for learning how to can. Here are some of my other favorite canning books and supplies.

My thoughts:

Making fruit butters in the slow cooker is a great option for people like me who do not have central air conditioning and would like to avoid heating up the kitchen as much as possible. You still have to boil the water but at least you don't have a bunch of fruit cooking too. I tried out my new cherry pitter and it was awesome! I can't wait to use it again. Anyway, this fruit butter is a fun alternative to and just as easy (maybe easier!) as jam making