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What Is Apricot Butter?

By C. Mitchell
Updated: Jan 26, 2024
Views: 7,652
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Apricot butter is a type of fruit preserve used as a spread for bread, pastries, pancakes, and more. It is called "butter" mainly because of its consistency, which is smooth and easily spreadable. Traditionally, apricot butter is made solely of fruit and spices, and does not contain any actual dairy products. Sometimes, butter whipped with apricot pieces is also called "apricot butter;" the term is usually reserved for canned or jarred apricot preserves, however.

In many respects, apricot butter is like a less refined, less sweet version of apricot jam. Jam is made by boiling fruits in sugar and water in order to get them to release their pectin and solidify. A fruit butter is usually not made with much, if any, sugar, and is more of a fruit puree than a gelled fruit. It is usually little more than softened fruit blended into smoothness with different other fruits or spices.

Making this sort of butter with apricots is usually quite straightforward. Cooks typically peel and pit the apricots, then boil them until soft — but not disintegrated. Apricots must then be removed from the water and pureed. Boiling the fruits allows them to break down and expel some of their natural water content, which makes for a thicker puree than could be achieved by simply pureeing fresh fruits.

Some cooks will also add apples, pears, cherries, or other fruits to the apricots as they boil to create a more dynamic finished spread. Making apricot butter is a good way to preserve and save fruits during the summertime. Cooks will often put any and all fruits that they have on hand into fruit butters. The basic apricot fruit butter recipe leaves a lot of room for innovation.

Most fruit butters, apricot included, are spiced rather than sweetened. Cinnamon, allspice, and cloves are common spice accompaniments to apricot butter. They are usually added just after the fruits have been pureed.

Apricot butter saves best when canned or jarred in airtight containers. As easy as it is to make, the butter is also frequently available commercially, and is usually sold on the same aisle as jams and jellies. Prepared apricot butter usually contains preservatives, and may also contain sugars.

The term "apricot butter" can also apply to apricot-flavored butter, which is usually no more than butter whipped with apricot pieces or apricot juice. This kind of apricot butter is a favorite of small bakeries and bed and breakfasts. It is often served with fruit scones or other pastries, the same way that ordinary butter would be.

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Discussion Comments
By Lostnfound — On Dec 14, 2014

I've never tried cooking apricot butter, but I like fruit butter in general, so it might be worth the effort. I do know you don't have to use all the Can-Jel stuff or a pile of fruit pectin to make it "jell." It's not supposed to be like jelly. It's supposed to be looser and more like oatmeal in consistency, ideally.

I need to pick up some apricots and maybe some peaches, too, and see what I can come up with as far as apricot butter goes. My mom has some great cookbooks with easy recipes for peach butter, so I'll go through those and see if I can find one that looks good and easy enough for a first-timer.

By Grivusangel — On Dec 13, 2014

I love fruit butters of just about any persuasion. The nice thing about them is that you can use the imperfect, ugly overripe fruit and it doesn't matter a bit. It's all going to be cooked down into apricot butter.

I like fruit butters with a good measure of cinnamon and allspice, with a pinch of clove. I love good fruit butter simply because it's not nearly as sweet as some jams or jellies. It also lends itself well to artificial sweetener, as long as you don't go overboard. I like to leave the fruit butter tasting as much like the original fruit as possible. I really hate jams and so forth that are too sweet. They just don't taste nearly as good.

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