When I was grocery shopping over the weekend, I hit the Fruit Butter jackpot.
First is Fig Butter. I snapped up two jars. My TJ’s had been out of it for the past few months even though a friend in NorCal told me her TJ’s had it in stock. Fig growing season is shorter here in San Diego than it is in Nor Cal and fig butter is apparently harder to come by here. How’s that for uber-regional distribution.
And I always have mango butter on hand so picked up another jar of that.
And I picked up another jar of Pumpkin Butter. Gotta get it before it’s gone for the season.
The only butter I didn’t pick up was the honey apple butter. I’ve had it in the past but like mango butter, it’s always available at my TJ’s, so there was no pressure to hoard.
Now that I’ve got more fruit butters in my cupboards than should be legal, I better make something with them.
I don’t have to make anything “special” with them, of though. Dipping my spoon into the jar is perfectly acceptable. I mean, doesn’t everyone eat nut butter, jelly, jam, and fruit butter spreads straight out of the jar? Ahem.
I am going to make a Caramel Maple Pumpkin Pie Smoothie with some pumpkin butter drizzled on top
That, or some Caramel Pumpkin Whip Dip with pumpkin butter either on top or in the mixture
And for the fig butter I’d like to try to incorporate it into something like No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites
And somehow I’d like to work Mango Butter into No Bake Mango & White Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites
I could have a field day with my butters. I better hurry up and make something before they get used in a more boring way like on bread and crackers, as fruit dips, or the spoon-in-jar technique. Nothing wrong with that, though.
The winner of the $100 Visa Giftcard & Pedometer Giveaway is:
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope October 21, 2011 at 3:30 am
Best. Giveaway. Ever. 
1. Bundle up and take a walk outside! The leaves are beautiful here right now, and I’m taking full advantage of the not-so-freezing-cold weather while it lasts. 2. Enjoy the seasonal produce! I’ve been loving all the apples (ok, maybe just honeycrisp… it’s an obsession 
), perfect sweet potatoes, and pears right now.
Congrats, Heather!
Questions:
1. Are you a jelly/jam, fruit preserves or fruit spread fan?
I am not really sure why they are called fruit “butter” rather than jelly. I surmise because they are not “clear” like jellies are.
In my book, fruit, pectin, and some sugar is jelly. And if left chunky, it’s jam or preserves.
And yes, I am a fan of all of the above.
2. Have you ever tried fruit butters? What kind?
For those of you without access to a TJ’s, you can order these types of things online. Google away.
I know Whole Foods has fig butter (I think it’s their 365 line) and I’m sure plenty other varieties, but I try to stay out of that store as much as possible. Those aisles and rows of unique condiments from nut butters to fruit butters to exotic spices to new-to-me chips and crackers and dried fruit and energy bars and the list goes on so I just keep out.
3. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend?
I hope you had a good one.
I baked. A lot. BakeStravaganza indeed.
Hope your week is off to a good start!
P.S. I have a favor to ask. Please vote here for my No Bake PB Biscoff Cookie Dough Bites in the Delta Biscoff Bakeoff. You can vote once per day for the next week. Thank you! If I win, I could win a culinary dream trip to NYC, Napa or LA. It just takes a second to click and vote. Thank you so much!
Love all the butters and inspiration here, thanks!
1. Yes, lately I like using them in sweet and savory dishes like stir fries.
2. Yes, apple, pumpkin (fruit?), etc.
3. Adopted a new dog who’s keeping me on my toes this week with hubby out-of-town. :-)
I do love jam/jelly/butters and actually reading this made me realize I’d love to have a nice piece of toast with some butter and jelly on it. But I never do that anymore.
Also, why do they call it butter? It really makes no sense to me at all.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that loses control with the fruit butters at Trader Joe’s!! :D
I’m going to head over to see if we have the Honey Apple Butter here in MN; I know we don’t get the fig or mango…*sob*. But that reminds me that I have a jar of their Cranberry butter that I’ve been hoarding since last Thanksgiving. Need to figure out something to do with that stat!
I grew up in MN! I hope you find the butters you want and yes, they already have the cranberry one at mine.
I have never tried anything labeled a “fruit butter”, but it sure sounds good. I actually haven’t had jelly, jam, preserves or anything of the sort in a really long time. I find that it gives me a bit of a sugar rush. I guess I need to balance it out better instead of just diving face first into the stuff… ;)
Averie,
I have to say that you inspired me to buy the Pumpkin butter at TJ’s this weekend! I hadn’t had it for a while and after seeing your post, when I found myself in TJ’s (buying food for a quick breakfast while watching my sister run a marathon in a town with extremely limited restaurant options) – I immediately went for the Pumpkin butter. I enjoyed it wrapped in Brown Rice Tortillas with Sunflower Seed butter and 1/2 of chopped banana. It was a perfect on-the-go breakfast! Thanks for the post!
Glad you tried it!
Always so jealous of the TJ’s butters around the ‘sphere! Texas may finally be getting a Trader Joe’s sometime next year, but it will be in Dallas if the rumors are true. You can bet I’ll be driving 4 hours with a cooler every now and again to restock on TJ’s products!!! ;)
I’m feeling jealous because your Trader Joe’s looks a lot more fun than mine! They had pumpkin butter and fig butter, but not mango of honey apple. I’m now hoping it will get stocked with the fruit butter bonanza soon. Glad you are still able to sneak some pics ;).
Um fig butter?! I haven’t heard of that one, but will need to get my hands on some…
these all seem so yummi!
I have only tried apple butter once (and loved it) and I can´t wait to try out the other ones, especially the mango butter!
I love jelly/jam in my porridge, but not the sugary kind, I prefer the homemade stuff with as little sugar as possible.
Good luck with your cookie dough bites!
I love fruit butters! That mango one sounds just awesome. Fig is one of my favourites…
I love apple butter!!!
Gah! More amazing products to be super envious of!
I believe technically the difference is that jellies are “cutable” while butters are spreadable. You know when you first open a jar of good old grape jelly, and you can slice it with a knife and the jelly doesn’t move? Butters fill in that hole. Jams have fruit chunks.
Lesson over. ;)
Oh! In the Katie-Averie psychic vein again, I JUST made my cranberry apple butter on Saturday! I was going to post about it later this week or next. Seriously. Get out of my head.
I am particular about jams, blackberry an cherry are favorites. I loooooove apple butter. Never tried pumpkin butter. Adding it to my list of pumpkin must-makes.
As for the weekend, best thing I did was to get the opportunity to perform(contemporary dance) at LA’s annual Love Your Body day, it was a way cool event, and LA especially needs a reminder to love the body…
Best thing I ate this weekend? Mom made a great pumpkin spice cake topped with a cream cheese/caramel frosting for our weekly Sunday dinner dessert. The cake was almost entirely fat free, but sugar loaded. It tasted GREAT, but it wasn’t the “healthiest” thing I ate this weekend (though Mom tries to keep things healthy, per my guidance). But the best little thing I ate this weekend was a seasonal Clif Bar: Iced Gingerbread. OMG. So incredibly delicious. I also snagged a Pumpkin Spice Clif Bar…haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure it will be sinfully delicious. Avery, your cookie dough bites always look divine. But if I made them…I would eat them all! I’m holding out for Christmas parties. I’ll make them then. =) You rock!
The Clif seasonal bars are really tasty. The gingerbread is my fave and the pumpkin spice is good too.
Enjoy the cookie dough bites if you make them :)
FIg butter!!!! I’m going to TJ’s tomorrow, I hope they have it. That looks amazing!! I seriously need to write a list so I don’t forget ;)