Blackberry Butter

As promised a little blackberry recipe:

I often find blackberries in jams and syrups to be untrue.  The flavour I taste when blackberries reach my mouth out of season doesn't represent what I taste in late August, (or in our case this year, early September) it's just not the same.  (I have the same problem with strawberries.)  Something important is lost and what I'm left with is not all that tasty. So aside from my favourite blackberry syrup on ice cream I stay away from preserving blackberries.  Out on a limb this year and trying many new jam recipes and techniques I decided to give blackberry butter a go.

I took the recipe from the now sticky pages of Well Preserved, my favourite book about putting up.  As a beginner I can definitely recommend this book for anyone starting out.  The information is sound and the recipes consistently favourable.  This butter's flavour is mellow with a hint of fall's favourite spice, cinnamon.  The butter is thick, not thin at all, but you have control over this, make it however you like.

Blackberry Butter


Ingredients:
4 cups blackberries, rinsed and picked over
2-3 large apples, (450 g)
sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Place the blackberries in a medium sized preserving pot.  Core the apples and chop them coarsely.  Add to the blackberry mix.  Bring to a boil over medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the apples are soft.  Take the pan off the heat and pass the blackberry-apple mixture through a food mill to remove the seeds and skins.

Prepare the preserving jars, uses 4-125mL jars.

Measure the puree back into the preserving pot.  Add 1/2 cup of sugar for every 1 cup puree.  You could add up to 3/4 cup of sugar for for every cup, suit to your personal tastes.  Taste after you add the sugar.  Stir well to dissolve the sugar and simmer over low heat for 45-60 minutes stirring frequently.  When the butter starts to get quite thick towards the end add the spices.  You will need to stir constantly at this point to ensure the bottom doesn't burn.

Remove from heat and spoon into the prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Close the jars and place in a water bath for 10 minutes.