Fill your house with the aroma of cooking apples and spices and make this delicious apple butter.
Making apple butter is a great way to preserve the fruits of an apple harvest.
What is Apple Butter?
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Apple butter is made by slowly cooking pureed apples for over an hour.
In contrast to what the name implies, there is no “butter” in apple butter.
The name comes from its smooth and buttery texture.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Apple butter is delicious on buttered toast.
You do not have to peel or core the apples.
After the first cooking, these parts get discarded as the pulp is run through a food mill.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
It’s seasoned with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and lemon.
The Difference Between Applesauce and Apple Butter
Apple butter is a smoother, more concentrated form ofapplesauce.
Alternatives to Stovetop Cooking
Don’t love standing at the stove stirring for ages?
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
These two methods are way more hands-off.
It’s on the tart side.
If you prefer apple butter on the sweeter side, we recommend trying a different recipe.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Gravenstein are the best apples to use for apple butter, if you might find them.
They usually ripen mid summer.
Granny Smiths work well too.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Much of the pectin is in the cores and flavor in the peels.
Cut out damaged parts.
Measure resulting apple pulp.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of apple pulp.
Stir to dissolve sugar.
Add cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to double-check a crust is not forming at the bottom.
Cook until thick, smooth, and dark brown in color (about 1 to 2 hours).
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
A small bit spooned onto a chilled (in the freezer) plate will be thick, not runny.
(Note the wider the pan the better, as there is more surface for evaporation.)
On the day it’s made, it can taste quite sharp.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
After a few days, it mellows out and the flavors meld.
Fill the jars and the pot with water up to the rim of the jars.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Wash the lids in hot, soapy water.
Simple Tip!
They do, however, need to be warm.
Remove the jars from the water bath using jar lifters.
Fill the hot jars with the hot apple butter, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Screw on the lids so they are fingertip tight.
Lower the jars into the boiling water bath.
When the water returns to a boil, process in the water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove the jars from the water bath and set on a clean dishtowel.
As the jars cool, you should hear the lids “popping” as they seal the jars.
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