Black Butter: A Christmas Recipe Popular in Jane Austen’sDay
December 12, 2009 by Vic
Making traditional black butter
Inquiring readers: Reader Cora Harrison recently placed this comment on my blog: “In one letter, Jane [Austen] spoke of serving ‘black butter’ with wigeon and that she thought the butter was bad … Poor Jane, I thought. However, in reading a book called The Feast of Christmas I discovered that black butter was not butter at all, but what I would call a fruit cheese, made from equal quantities of apples, blackcurrants or blackberries and less sugar, and then boiled until it sets – and of course, the colour would be black!”
Her comment so intrigued me, that I decided to look up the topic. Jane wrote to her sister on December 27, 1808:
The first pot [of black butter] was opened when Frank and Mary were here, and proved not at all what it ought to be; it was neither solid nor entirely sweet, and on seeing it Eliza remembered that Miss Austen had said she did not think it had been boiled enough. It was made, you know, when we were absent. Such being the event of the first pot, I would not save the second, and we therefore ate it in unpretending privacy; and though not what it ought to be, part of it was very good.”
The recipe for making black butter, or apple butter as it is commonly known today, harkens back to medieval times. After the winter crop was picked, the preserve was made in huge quantities. In the 18th century, twenty percent of Jersey’s arable land was made up of orchards, and the tradition of producing ‘black butter’ or ‘Le Niere Buerre’ became an annual social and festive occasion. Jersey black butter was made from cider apples that were slowly boiled over a fire. Women would peel hundreds of pounds of apples, while the men and children would gather enough wood to keep the fire going for almost two days.After the cider was ‘reduced’ by half, apples, sugar, lemon, liquorice and spices were added. The Jersey tradition of making black butter included singing, dancing, and storytelling all through the night and until early morning. Jersey Island black butter is characterized by the addition of liquorice, which made the preserve quite dark. – RecipeZaar & BBC Jersey Black Butter.
According to Food Legends, black butter “contains no butter, the butter in the name being like the cheese in lemon cheese, more a description of the consistency and application of the product than anything else; and second, it is not really black, indeed a great deal of effort goes into avoiding the burning that would change the dark brown mass to black.”The following is likely Jane Austen’s recipe for Black Butter. Traditionally, the preserve is spread on bread, or it can be eaten by itself:
Take 4 pounds of full ripe apples, and peel and core them. Meanwhile put into a pan 2 pints of sweet cider, and boil until it reduces by half. Put the apples, chopped small, to the cider. Cook slowly stirring frequently, until the fruit is tender, as you can crush beneath the back of a spoon. Then work the apple through a sieve, and return to the pan adding 1lb beaten (granulated) sugar and spices as following, 1 teaspoon clove well ground, 2 teaspoons cinnamon well ground, 1 saltspoon allspice well ground. Cook over low fire for about ¾ hour, stirring until mixture thickens and turns a rich brown. Pour the butter into into small clean jars, and cover with clarified butter when cold. Seal and keep for three months before using. By this time the butter will have turned almost black, and have a most delicious flavour. – Copyright Maria Hubert von Staufer March 1995
This recipe, which Cora must have at first thought Jane Austen was referring to, is a black butter that is generally served with fish, such as skate or salmon:
Black Butter: Put into a frying pan the necessary amount of butter, and cook it until it has a brown color and begins to smoke. At this moment add a large pinch of concassed parsley leaves and spread it immediately over the object to be treated. – Chest of Books
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FAQs
What is Black Butter? Jersey Black Butter is a unique medieval recipe for apple sauce, which has been adapted over the years. Black butter is a blend of harvested apples, cider, sugar, spices, liquorice and lemons. The spread can be eaten on toast, with biscuits and even on its own.
What was Jane Austen's Favourite food? ›
It also includes a recipe for Toasted Cheese, one of Jane's favourite foods, and numerous recipes for cakes, pies and puddings which we know she also enjoyed. There are also recipes for drinks, such as Mead, Currant Wine and Ginger Beer, and for household products.
Is black butter vegan? ›
Black Butter is delicious spread over freshly baked bread and on scones with cream or on toast. It can also be served as an accompaniment to white meats. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
What does Black Butter taste like? ›
Jersey Black Butter is a jarred preserve, made by boiling cider apples for up to two days and then reducing it down by half, adding sugar, lemon, spices and liquorice. It has a very distinctive black colour and it smells and tastes almost like mince pie filling, but without the bits!
What is the origin of Black Butter? ›
Jersey Apple Black Butter has a long and fascinating history that dates back to the 16th century. It was originally made as a way to preserve apples, which were abundant on the island of Jersey. At the time, the island was also known for its cider production, which was made from traditional Jersey apples.
What illness did Jane Austen suffer from? ›
Jane Austen is typically described as having excellent health until the age of 40 and the onset of a mysterious and fatal illness, initially identified by Sir Zachary Cope in 1964 as Addison's disease.
What did they eat in Jane Austen's time? ›
Normal things to eat would be toast and muffins with butter. The big English cooked breakfast of beef and ale was going out of fashion and replaced by this lighter selection, but doubtless beef was still consumed by labourers who could afford meat.
What did Jane Austen eat for dinner? ›
The mid-afternoon daily dinner usually including a few different dishes; one dinner Austen mentioned in a letter consisted of “pease-soup, a sparerib, and a pudding.” Martha Lloyd's Household Book also includes influences from much farther afield.
How long does black butter last? ›
This rich black butter preserve is lovingly made with Armagh Bramley Apples, cider and spices in Northern Ireland. Perfect with homemade scones and pancakes. Once opened keep refrigerated and consume within 8 weeks.
How is Irish black butter made? ›
Black Butter is said to be of Medieval origin. Made with apples, it was a way of preserving fruit. Irish Black Butter is a modern interpretation using EU PGI status Armagh Bramley Apples, local cider, brandy, treacle, sugar and spices.
The naturally occurring plant pigment carotene is responsible for the yellow colour of Irish butter. The carotene content of butter depends largely on the animals diet. In Ireland, dairy cows are fed primarily a grass based diet, which is rich in carotene. Carotene can be converted to vitamin A in the human body.
Is Black Butter a thing? ›
Irish Black Butter is non-dairy and sits within the wider family of apple butter found extensively in North America and parts of Western Europe. This rich spicy apple butter is a truly unique modern day interpretation.
Why do vegans not eat butter? ›
Butter isn't traditionally vegan as it's typically a dairy product that's made from cow's milk that has been churned to separate the fat compounds. Vegans don't eat animal products so won't eat traditional butter.
What makes Black Butter black? ›
An important concept is that the butter is not, in fact, black in colour. It is made by carefully and slowly cooking butter over a low heat until it is a deep mellow brown. If the melted butter becomes black it is overdone and ruined. I have never understood why it is not called 'beurre brunes'.
What are the benefits of Black Butter? ›
Shea butter contains antioxidants like vitamins A and E that help neutralize these free radicals and protect the skin from oxidative stress. These antioxidants also reduce UV damage from the sun's harmful rays. The cinnamic acid in shea butter absorbs UV radiation before it reaches the skin.
What is Irish black butter made of? ›
From the seeds of an old idea and the culinary alchemy of Paul Clarke emerged Irish Black Butter, 'a great new taste of Ireland' fashioned from Armagh Bramley Apples, cider, brandy, treacle, sugar and spices – an inclusive sweet savoury taste sensation for cooking, baking, spreading or mixing.
What is in Irish black butter? ›
Irish Black Butter is not butter at all – in fact, there is no dairy in it at all! It is actually a preserve made from Armagh Bramley Apples and cider and sugar, so in that sense it is closer to a chutney than a butter. The uses are endless.
