Step 1

Rinse the cranberries and put them in a large heavy saucepan or pot. A Dutch oven works well.

Step 2

Stir in the maple syrup.

Step 3

Bring the mixture up to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down a bit and boil the berries for about 5-10 minutes, until they pop open, soften, and the mixture starts to thicken from the natural pectin in the berries. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Note: watch out for those popping berries, they can spit and the mixture is hot.

Step 4

Let the cranberry sauce cool a little bit and then transfer to a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a full sized food processor.

Step 5

Process until completely smooth and silky. Note: if your mixture is still hot, take care to cover the top of your machine with a dishcloth to prevent any of the hot mixture erupting.

Step 6

At this point my butter was thick and spreadable. If yours is a little looser, you can put it back in your cleaned out saucepan and cook down a little further until it is as thick as you like it. Remember fruit butter thickens further as it chills in the refrigerator.

Step 7

Spoon the finished cranberry butter into clean jars, let cool, and then cap and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks to a month.

Step 8

To can your butter, pour hot butter into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. (Adjust process times for high altitudes.) Remove canner from heat and remove canner lid. Wait five minutes before removing jars. Let cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when you press in the center.