It was a pretty good season in the garden for onions, and they’re all harvested. Most of them are curing for storage to use over the winter. But I took about 4 pounds of them and made them into super delicious onion butter. Onion butter has a texture and appearance very similar to apple butter, and just like apple butter, there is no actual butter in the recipe – just cooked down and pureed onions.
The long, slow cooking turns the onions into a heavenly, oniony-but-sweet spread. It’s awesome on burgers, biscuits, cooked veggies, and pasta.
Or be creative and try it on what you’re making for dinner one of these nights!
We generally have a beautiful crop of onions in our organic lasagna garden.
Onion Butter
Ingredients
- 4 pounds onions
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Peel and half the onions*.
- Place the onions into a crock-pot with about 1/2 cup of water.
- Cover the crock-pot and heat the onions on high for several hours until they are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking on high, and continue stirring here and there. (When you go to bed, cover the pot and turn the heat down to low).
- Continue cooking the onions until all of the liquid in them has evaporated; this will take up to 24 hours.
- Cool, and then puree the onions in a food processor.
- Place the butter into several 1 or 2 cup jars or other containers. The onion butter may be frozen until ready to use. Enjoy!
Notes
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Kelly says
Can this be water processed like Apple butter? I know my parents would enjoy this, but they are in Arizona.
Susan says
Hi Kelly, I’ve never canned this (or apple butter), but I assume so.
Holly @ Your Gardening Friend says
This sounds like something John and I would REALLY enjoy. I don’t have a food processor, though. Have you ever used a blender instead of a food process for this recipe? Will that work?
Susan says
Hi Holly! I haven’t used a blender but I think it would work just fine because the onions are super soft and moist.
nicole ray says
I added garlic, and also italian herbs, it was great !
Susan says
Fantastic!
Sam says
I was eating crumpets and I thought of making onion butter I’ll definitely give it ago.
John Carley says
HI Kelly,
This seems to be very similar to my maternal grandmother’s Grandma Thorne’s Walla Walla Sweet Onion Butter. Her recipe was handed down through her family from before “slow cooker and food processor days”, She would always use Walla Walla Sweet Onions.
Peel and Quarter 1/2 to 1 bushel of onions (20 – 50 Lbs) and place in large (30 Qt) Canning Pot. Add 1 – 2 Qts water. (If it is a pressure canning pot use the 10 lbs weight.) If not a pressure canner, just cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 hours. Onions should be soft and translucent. Cool and run the onions through a potato ricer 2 or 3 times. Return onions to pot include the liquid. Lid off. Bake at 215 degrees F for about 24 hours, stir about hourly. When done onions should be the color and consistency of Apple Butter. Pressure can like you would applesauce or apple butter.
I have several recipes for using the end product. Cedar Plank Baking salmon filets, onion dip, onion soup, brush on roasts or steaks. Spread on sandwiches.
John