Dried Cherry Butter Recipe

Think you can only make fruit butter from fresh fruit? Think again!

By
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker is a food writer, publisher, and author of two cookbooks: The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. In addition to her columns on Serious Eats, she has written for The Journal News, Westchester Magazine, and her blog, Turnip the Oven.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated June 01, 2022
20120304-195254-preserved-cherry-butter-primary.jpg

Why It Works

  • Using dried cherries allows you to create a flavorful preserve, even when the fruit isn't in season.
  • Fruit butter can be enjoyed right away and stored in the fridge, or canned in sterilized jars in a hot water bath.

Dried cherries are one of my favorite dried fruits. Plump, tart, and sweet, they have a concentrated cherry flavor that packs a serious punch. When incorporated into cookies or granola, they really pop—much more than common raisins or dried cranberries. Here, dried cherries shine in a silky fruit butter sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon. This butter would be delicious on cornbread or sourdough toast, or used as a filling for chocolate sandwich cookies.

While this type of butter can be made from other dried fruits, I picked dried cherries because they are one of my favorites, and because in the last few days of winter I'm craving anything that hints at the warmer months ahead.

The method is quick and simple: Simmer the dried fruit in water and lemon juice until it's plump. Puree the mixture, add honey and cinnamon, and bring to a boil again. For longer storage, ladle the butter into hot, sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath. Otherwise, stash them in the fridge for up to a month.

March 04, 2012

This recipe has been edited to combine the honey, cinnamon, and pectin in a separate bowl to avoid clumping.

March 2012

Recipe Details

Dried Cherry Butter Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 50 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 24 servings
Makes 4 half-pint jars

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup (225g) honey

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 tablespoon (12g) No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin

  • 2 1/2 cups (410g) dried cherries

  • 2 tablespoons (12g) freshly grated lemon zest plus 1/2 cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 3 to 4 large lemons)

  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, cinnamon, and pectin until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

  2. In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, combine cherries, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and 2 cups (475ml) water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until cherries are tender, about 15 minutes.

  3. Transfer cherry mixture and cooking liquid to a blender jar. Remove the blender lid plug (this will allow steam pressure to escape), close lid, and set a folded clean dish towel on top to cover the hole in the blender lid (keep your hand on the towel to hold it in place). Blend cherry mixture until smooth. Return to saucepan and stir in reserved honey mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook at a rapid boil for 1 minute.

  4. Remove saucepan from heat and let cool. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month, or ladle cherry butter into hot, sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Special Equipment

Blender

Make Ahead and Storage

Store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Alternatively, ladle cherry butter into hot, sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
102Calories
0gFat
26gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories102
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 20mg1%
Total Carbohydrate 26g9%
Dietary Fiber 1g3%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 10mg49%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 96mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes