I may earn a commission if you click on links in this post and make a purchase.
I got a very good deal on organic nectarines over the weekend. The great thing about buying and canning a quantity of nectarines is that they don’t need peeling prior to canning, like peaches, and for this busy girl that is always a plus. We quite enjoy nectarines canned in an extra light sugar syrup so I ended up doing 42 pints of that. I wanted something special too, something I knew I could give away as gifts. I wasn’t in the mood for jam making but I do love a good fruit butter and that’s what I decided on. A Nectarine Maple Vanilla Butter to be exact. I wanted to use our maple syrup in some kind of fruit preserve this summer and I do believe this was a perfect use.
This is a simple recipe, with only a few ingredients, made even simpler by cooking it down in a slow cooker. The nectarines stand out and the hint of maple syrup doesn’t over-sweeten it but rather adds just hint of flavor.
Nectarine Maple Vanilla Butter
Nectarine maple vanilla butter is a thick and creamy spread made slightly sweet and warming from maple syrup and vanilla - perfect for breakfast toast.
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds Nectarines, Pitted & Coarsely Chopped
- 2 TBSP Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup Water
- ½ Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped - save only the seeds scraped from the inside
Instructions
- In a heavy sauce pan combine the nectarines, lemon juice, and water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Stirring frequently to prevent scorching, cook until fruit is soft - 10 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and puree in a blender.
- Pour the puree into a slow cooker with the maple syrup and scraped vanilla beans. Set the slow cooker on high, do NOT cover. Allow the steam to escape. Stir occasionally and cook until the puree is a thick spreadable butter. Probably about 4 hours, but actual time will depend on your fruit and slow cooker.
- Pour into hot jars and can for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath (adjusting for elevation).
My daughter was just asking if there were any ways to preserve nectarines. She’ll be so happy when I show her this recipe!
Hello!
Thanks for your recipe! Do you know if it would be safe to use honey instead of the maple syrup? We have honey on hand, but no syrup, so I thought maybe I could avoid a trip to the store.
Thanks!
-Natalie
I think honey would work just fine. Enjoy!
Why the vanilla beans and not the vanilla seeds? Just curious. I just bought nectarines and am anxious to try this!! Thanks!
Do use the seeds – simply scrape the seeds into the mixture. I obviously didn’t write that the way I intended. My apologies.
Can you make this on the stovetop instead of crockpot?
Yes, but you’re going to need to stir almost constantly to prevent scorching, keep very low heat.
Looks like a great recipe we receive some nectarines from a friend of ours off of their tree and wanted to try this recipe curious is it 5 lb nectarines after the pits are removed or as a whole fruit. Thank you
5 pounds with the pits.
Can you use just vanilla instead of the bean scrapings?
I imagine you could but I haven’t tested it. Maybe 2 teaspoons?
Did you happen to try it with just the vanilla extract instead of the beans? Curious how it turned out.
I was just looking at a container of Madagascar vanilla beans. It says one bean with seeds is equal to 3 tsp of vanilla extract. If you’re going the extract route, I’d use vanilla paste. If you can’t find it locally Amazon of course carries it.
Instead of running soft from mixture through a blender, can you use a food mill? Just thinking that it would remove the skin of the nectarines unless that is a vital part of the taste. Thanks
For sure use the food mill.
Do you think I could do this on low overnight in the crockpot instead of four hours on high? Maybe 7-8 hours?
You could for sure do it on low but you’d still want to watch it for scorching. I don’t know that I’d do it overnight just in case it cooks down faster than expected and you wake up to a pot of burned fruit…
How long does it keep for? Does it need to be refrigerated? Is it on par with Jam or significantly less given it doesn’t have the huge sugar content?
All canned goods should be used up in a year. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated as long as it is properly canned.
Is it possible to make this without canning? How long do you think it would last? Thank you!
You could freeze it for up to 6 months or so. It’s only likely to last a couple of weeks in the fridge.
Would you be able to substitute peaches in place of nectarines?
I haven’t tried it but I imagine peaches would work just fine and be just as tasty here.
Could the recipe be halved? I only have 2 pounds of fruit
Sure.
Hi! I want to know it I can make this in an instant pot. Do you know how long it would take?
I’m sorry, I don’t own an Instant pot so I have no idea.