Update: I made blueberry lavender butter with frozen berries too.
Summer is my favorite food time of year. I can do without the crazy heat, but I love all the amazing produce that it brings. Northern California is an especially wonderful place for fresh fruits and veggies. While browsing the farmer’s market last Saturday, I found a nearly endless supply of cherries mixed in with all kinds of berries, peaches and some vegetables too I’m sure (I recall seeing broccoli and daikon, but honestly I am way more excited about the awesome fruit selection at this time of year).
In particular, blueberries are one of my favorite fruits and I love eating fresh, plain blueberries right out of the box. Last week, however, I sacrificed 2 entire large boxes of blueberries and pureed them in my blender (it was kind of painful – I wanted so badly just to eat them all!). This fruit butter is actually totally worth the sacrifice. I adapted a recipe from Food in Jars and added lavender to the blueberry puree, which is a fantastic flavor combination. The texture is lovely – velvety, smooth and creamy, this thick butter is the perfect addition to your breakfast table.
This recipe is also very simple and easy to make. Don’t let canning or the use of a slow cooker dissuade you from trying this blueberry lavender butter. Imagine slathering it on warm toast, fresh scones, or mixing it into thick Greek yogurt…mmm!
How do you enjoy your favorite summer fruit?
Recipe:
Slow Cooker Blueberry Lavender Butter
- 8 cups pureed fresh blueberries
- 1 T dried lavender
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 – 2 C sugar
- 1 bouquet garni bag (like these or use cheesecloth and string to make your own)
Place pureed blueberries in slow cooker and turn to low. Fill bouquet garni bag with lavender and tie shut. After 1 hour stir blueberry puree and add bag of lavender. Prop open lid with a spatula or wooden spoon and continue cooking on low, stirring occasionally. After 4 more hours, add lemon zest and sugar to taste. Remove lid and cook on high for 1 hour. Remove bouquet garni bag of lavender and discard. Place butter in food processor or blender and process to desired consistency. Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space, wipe rims and screw on lids. Process in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Store jars in cool, dark place.
47 Comments on Slow Cooker Monday: Blueberry Lavender Butter
3Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Slow Cooker Monday: Blueberry Lavender Butter
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[…] I mentioned in my last post about blueberry lavender butter, I love summer fruit season and I feel very lucky to live in northern California, where I’m […]
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[…] give you a sense of déjà vu. Slow cooker blueberry lavender butter? Didn’t I post that last week? Why yes, yes I did. But this week, in answer to several people who wondered if it could be done […]
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[…] 22. Slow Cooker Blueberry Lavender Butter What could say summer more than blueberries and lavender together? […]
Ann
June 20, 2011 at 4:02 pm (13 years ago)Wow! That sounds amazing! I would have never guessed lavender…..I, too, love summer produce.
Stephanie
June 20, 2011 at 5:37 pm (13 years ago)@Ann – thanks! The lavender goes great with blueberry.
Jennifer
June 20, 2011 at 4:55 pm (13 years ago)Mmmm…this sounds SO good! Can you use fresh lavender instead of dried?
Stephanie
June 20, 2011 at 5:37 pm (13 years ago)@Jennifer – hmm, I don’t see why not. I’ve never cooked with fresh lavender. Give it a try and let me know! 🙂
Stacy G.
June 20, 2011 at 11:05 pm (13 years ago)Looks delicious! Hooray for summer and Farmer’s Markets!
Stephanie
June 21, 2011 at 8:57 am (13 years ago)@Stacy – thanks! I agree! 🙂
foodie
June 21, 2011 at 10:08 am (13 years ago)how about a blueberry cake recipe too?
Stephanie
June 21, 2011 at 7:25 pm (13 years ago)@foodie – great idea! I’ll see what I can do…
Lindsey@Lindselicious
June 21, 2011 at 2:35 pm (13 years ago)SEriously I need to head to costco and pick up some blueberries! I love fruit butters so yummy – this would be great in oatmeal too. Do you think this would work with frozen blueberries (for when they are not in season)?
Stephanie
June 21, 2011 at 7:26 pm (13 years ago)@Lindsey – I’m not sure what would happen with frozen blueberries but I’m tempted to try it. I’ll let you know if I do!
Tiffany
June 21, 2011 at 3:46 pm (13 years ago)Oh my! I can only imagine how this must have smelled! 😀
Stephanie
June 21, 2011 at 7:26 pm (13 years ago)@Tiffany – it smelled soo good…:)
Kathy
June 21, 2011 at 7:48 pm (13 years ago)It looks delicious, and the recipe is so easy too!!
I assume that this works for any berry fruit, right?
Stephanie
June 21, 2011 at 8:14 pm (13 years ago)@Kathy – yes, I bet it would be great with other berries!
Yocelyn
June 22, 2011 at 4:52 am (13 years ago)Oh my goodness. This sounds Delish. I’ve never canned though. Kinda scared.
Stephanie
June 22, 2011 at 8:13 am (13 years ago)@Yocelyn – don’t be scared! It’s not too hard: I sterilize my jars by baking them in the oven (Google it) and then you just need a big stockpot of boiling water to seal them at the end for 10 mins. If you’re really intimidated though, this recipe doesn’t make a lot and I’ve already eaten 1/3 of it in a week by having it for breakfast everyday. You can store it in a tupperware instead in the fridge.
Annie
June 22, 2011 at 5:02 am (13 years ago)Love, love, love this recipe! I make my apple butter in the slow cooker and can second you on the ease of making butters this way. I have everything but the blueberries. When the heck am I gonna be able to get to the farmers market?!
Stephanie
June 22, 2011 at 8:14 am (13 years ago)@Annie – ooh apple butter would be so good too! I’ll have to try that in the fall. I hope you can find blueberries soon! They just appeared here a few weeks ago…
Medeja
June 22, 2011 at 5:06 am (13 years ago)Color is just amazing!
Stephanie
June 22, 2011 at 8:14 am (13 years ago)@Medeja – thank you!
Yocelyn
June 22, 2011 at 12:54 pm (13 years ago)Thanks!! I’m going to do it!
Stephanie
June 22, 2011 at 2:47 pm (13 years ago)@Yocelyn – yay! Tell me how it turns out!
visda
June 22, 2011 at 2:36 pm (13 years ago)Mmmmmm. This sounds very delicious. I’m a berry fan too and couldn’t wait for this season. They are available all year long now a days in CA but none is as flavorful as the ones in season. I have to try your magnificent recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Stephanie
June 22, 2011 at 2:48 pm (13 years ago)@visda – I agree, it’s always best in season. I don’t even know where they get berries in the winter (maybe Chile). Enjoy the recipe!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
June 22, 2011 at 3:21 pm (13 years ago)This sounds delicious! I never would have thought to put fruit in butter.
Stephanie
June 23, 2011 at 9:22 am (13 years ago)@Erin – it’s actually a fruit butter – like a spread, with no actual butter in it. You can also make compound butters though, which is something else -fruit, spices, etc.- mixed into butter (I made a garlic compound butter and blogged about it several months ago).
kimberly michelle
June 24, 2011 at 1:34 pm (13 years ago)Just pinned this! It sounds wonderful!!!
Stephanie
June 24, 2011 at 2:28 pm (13 years ago)@kimberly michelle – thank you!! It totally makes my day to see that people pinned my recipes!
Yocelyn
June 26, 2011 at 4:49 pm (13 years ago)It was delicious! Put it ontop of some fresh biscuits and my husband was in love. Thank you!!!
Stephanie
June 26, 2011 at 6:58 pm (13 years ago)@Yocelyn – that’s great! I’m so glad you guys loved it! You’re very welcome 🙂
Sue
July 3, 2011 at 3:18 pm (13 years ago)Just adapted your recipe today to make a small batch without canning (it’s over 100!). Love it, so thinned it a bit to create a syrup to pour over strawberries and ice cream. Red, white, and blue!
Stephanie
July 3, 2011 at 8:56 pm (13 years ago)@Sue – That sounds great! It’s over 100 where I am as well. I’m making food in my slow cooker too – it’s way too hot to cook or can!
Jewels
July 22, 2011 at 12:20 pm (13 years ago)Does it cook down any or does it make 8 cups of blueberry butter? I just want to make sure I have the proper number of canning jars. Any advice? I was thinking of using the half pint jars.
Stephanie
July 22, 2011 at 6:20 pm (13 years ago)@Jewels – it does cook down. I believe it filled 3-4 half pint jars for me.
Jewels
July 23, 2011 at 7:24 am (13 years ago)Wow! That doesn’t make very much for the quantity of blueberries! I was thinking that would be a great Christmas gift, but it will be a more expensive gift if I have to get a ton of blueberries!! Hmmm….it just sounds so darn tasty, though. Maybe just the special people will get it 🙂
Wheels
August 23, 2011 at 4:39 pm (13 years ago)I’m going to need you to make pumpkin butter in the fall. Dumb question but can I puree blueberries in a blender?
Wheels recently posted Monday Morning Malaise
Stephanie
August 26, 2011 at 7:08 am (13 years ago)@Wheels – yes for pumpkin butter! And yes, absolutely you can puree in a blender.
KerBearRN
August 3, 2012 at 6:21 pm (12 years ago)Just needing a clarification– is the 8 cups before or after purreeing?
We just returned from the u-pick blueberry farm about 40 miles south of us (I am on Calif Central Coast, blueberry farm about 30 miles north of Santa Barbara). I ate as many as I picked!! Yummmmmmy!!!
Couple years ago made blueberry-kiwi jam (yummy). This year gonna hoard some of the blueberries to combine with elderberries for a jam (might try lavender there too).
Stephanie
August 3, 2012 at 8:00 pm (12 years ago)@KerBearRN – it’s 8 cups after pureeing. Enjoy!
KerBearRN
August 3, 2012 at 8:09 pm (12 years ago)Thanks!!
KerBearRN
May 27, 2013 at 9:37 pm (12 years ago)Hi there– I am going to try this in a couple days. How many half pints did it make for you? I’m considering doubling the recipe…
Rita
January 22, 2014 at 5:24 pm (11 years ago)Lovely combination of flavorers that are inspiring me to design some creative combinations! Thanks!
Margie
July 18, 2015 at 2:49 am (9 years ago)Just wondering if Pure Therapeutic Grade Lavender oil can be used here.
Love your site and everything in it ! ! !
Margie
July 18, 2015 at 2:51 am (9 years ago)Don’t know if my message came through so will try again – just wondering if anyone knows if Lavender Essential oil can be substituted here. Thank you and and all.