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–+ servings
small jar full of smooth cherry butter.
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4.57 from 16 votes

How to Make Cherry Butter – Preserving Cherries

Learn how to make cherry butter using a glut of sweet cherries.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Preserves and Canning Recipes
Cuisine: German, American
Servings: 4 -5 jars
Calories: 647kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Very large wide pot
  • Jars
  • Canner optional

Ingredients

  • 6½ lbs fresh sweet cherries weighed after pitting them, 3 kg, Note 1
  • 1½ cups apple juice 350 ml
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 g
  • spices optional, Note 2

Instructions

Cherry butter:

  • Cook cherries: Place the fruit in the pot and add the apple juice. Stir and bring to a boil; turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, every 10-15 minutes or so.
    6½ lbs fresh sweet cherries/ 3 kg + 1½ cups apple juice/ 350 ml
  • Add the sugar, stir well, and continue cooking for 30 minutes, stirring more often now and scraping the bottom and the edges of the pot well while stirring to prevent the cherry butter from catching. A large, wide cooking pot will accelerate things a little bit.
    1½ cups granulated sugar/ 300 g
  • The cooking time depends on the quantity of fruit you are turning into butter and on the size of your cooking pot. If you cook a smaller amount of cherries, you will need less time; if cooking more cherries it might take longer.
  • Blend the fruit with an immersion blender.
  • If using spices, you can add them now.
  • Transfer to jars: Carefully pour the cherry butter into sterilized jars using a jam funnel.

Can cherry butter:

  • Use a canner, if available, and follow the manual instructions.
  • Without a canner: Place the closed, hot jars in a large pot lined with a textile kitchen cloth and fill the pot with hot water to cover the jars. The jars should not touch each other, neither should they touch the bottom of the pot, they should all fit snugly into the pot and onto the folded kitchen towel.
  • Boil the jars for about 20-25 minutes. Carefully lift them out of the water, place them on another kitchen towel on the counter, and let them get cool.
  • Store in a cool, dark place

Notes

  1. Amount of cherries: Making cherry butter is only worth it if you have lots of cherries because they will cook down very much, much more than regular jam. That being said, cherry butter tastes much much better than regular jam.
  2. Spices are optional: I don't like adding spices to the cherry butter, but if you like, you can add cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, and nutmeg, to taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1jar | Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 165g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 144g