How to Make and Can Apple Cranberry Butter

Marie Overton
Jul 25, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Apr 29

Apple butter is one of those basic recipes that can be combined with other flavors with fabulous results. This recipe for Apple Cranberry Butter is a prime example of a perfect combination. The tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the apples make it one of my favorite butters to use on meat. From chicken breast to pork chops to turkey, this is a great addition to a meal. Fruit butter becomes so much easier to make if you use a steamer juicer to remove the juice first. Using the steam juicer greatly reduces the cooking time and gives a byproduct of apple juice. This Apple Cranberry Butter tends to be smoother with more spices and less sugar than a comparable jam.

Grilled chicken breast topped with reddish-brown sauce on a textured white plate, set on a light wooden table.

CranApple Butter

Prepare Your Steam Juicing Equipment

Start by preparing your steamer juicer by filling the bottom basin with water and place it on the stove on low to begin heating the water.

Note: You will periodically want to check your water level in the bottom of the juicer so that it does not run dry and burn the pan of your juicer.

Note 2: If you do not have a steamer juicer you can still make this recipe by cooking down the apples to remove the juice.

Making the Apple Cranberry Butter

Red apples on a granite countertop, with peeled apples on a wooden board in the background. The setting is a kitchen.

Prepare Apples

Wash, peel, core and slice 4.5 pounds of apples. You can cook them down with 1/4 cup of water or use the steamer juicer (My preferred method.).

Blend the apple pulp with 2 cups of cranberry juice.

Pot with red bubbling liquid on a granite counter, surrounded by cups of cinnamon and sugar. Cozy kitchen setting.

In a large pot, mix the apples and juice with 4 cups more of cranberry juice, 3 cups of white sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Pot of red and pink purée with brown cinnamon on a speckled countertop. Black handles on the pot stand out against the surface.

Simmer until thick.

Prepare Your Canning Equipment

While your Apple Cider Butter is simmering until thick prepare your boiling water bath canner with enough water to cover 4 pint-sized jars with 1-2 inches of water. Place the water bath canner on the stove on medium heat. Next, preheat your jars. Now that your equipment is ready, it is time to start filling your jars with apple cider butter.

NOTE: To check that the Apple Cider Butter is done, drop a spoonful on the surface of the batch. If it holds its shape for several seconds, it is ready. Another method is to drop a spoonful on a chilled plate. If the consistency is thick and spreadable like jam, it is done

Person in blue sweater ladles red sauce into glass jars using a metal funnel on a granite countertop, with lids nearby.

Fill Jars

Using a jar funnel, pour or ladle the butter into clean, hot, pint-sized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Place the lids and rings on and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner at sea level or adjust for your elevation. (Wait to start the timer until it comes to a rapid boil.) After processing, remove the lid, turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

Jars of red jam, a bowl with sauce, apples in a metal basket, and scattered cranberries on a granite countertop create a cozy kitchen scene.

Processing Complete

Remove the jars from the water bath. Allow them to sit on the counter for 24 hours then check if they sealed properly. The center will be indented down if they are. If not, place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use them right away.