Spiced Persimmon Butter

I have never really canned anything before. I grew up watching my mom can jars of apricot jam she made from the apricots growing in our back yard, but I never tried it myself. Every year around Thanksgiving our persimmon tree (fuyu) yields an abundance of fruit. We like persimmons, but don't ever really do much with them except eat a few and give a lot away. This year I thought I'd try my hand at a couple of recipes. #1 Persimmon Butter. The canning technique is based off of something I read online. It worked, but I'm not sure if it is the right way to do things or not.

Spiced Persimmon Butter Recipe

Ingredients

3 c Persimmon pulp*

¾ c Apple cider

1 ¼ c Firmly packed brown sugar

1 t Cinnamon

¼ t Ground cloves

¼ t Grated nutmeg

Directions

Combine ingredients in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and cook until the mixture is dark and thick. About 30 minutes to and hour, stirring often.


When persimmon butter is close to being ready, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. place clean jars in the pot and let them boil for a couple of minutes. When you are ready to fill the jars remove them from the hot water and wipe dry with a towel. Pour hot persimmon mixture into the jars leaving about 1/2 inch or more space on top. Wipe rim of jars with a clean damp cloth and seal tightly. Return jars to boiling water and let them boil for 10-12 minutes. Remove from boiling water. Dry jars and check the seal by pressing down. If it moves easily or you hear a popping sound the jar is not sealed. Return butter to the boiling water and try again. I have also found for jars that don't seal the first time around that if you wait for a couple minutes for the jars to cool down a bit and then place them in the refrigerator, the jars will seal.




*For fuyu persimmons that do not pulp easily, peel and chop them and add them to a pot with an inch or so of water. Cover and let the persimmons cook until very soft. Using a slotted spoon place persimmons in a blender and puree until smooth. Add remaining ingredients to the blender or use a hand blender in the pot to incorporate all of the ingredients.