Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

apple butter

Recipe by
Jason Koch
Westland, MI

Preserve the fall's bounty. Notes: You can use almost any variety of apples for apple butter, but a mixture of tart and sweet apples works best. Try Granny Smith, McIntosh, Gala and Jonathan. Storage: Processed, this apple butter will keep for up to six months. Once the jars are opened, store them in the refrigerator, where they will last for up to 1 week.

yield 2 Pints
method Canning/Preserving

Ingredients For apple butter

  • 5 lb
    apples, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 3/4 c
    apple cider
  • 1 1/4 c
    sugar
  • 2 Tbsp
    lemon juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground mace
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground nutmeg

How To Make apple butter

  • 1
    In a large pot, bring the apples and cider to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.
  • 2
    Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the apples are soft, 30 to 35 minutes. Use a potato masher, fork or immersion blender to roughly mash the mixture.
  • 3
    Return the apple mixture to the heat and stir in the sugar, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg.
  • 4
    Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened and becomes a deep rich brown, about 1.5 hours. The mixture will be relatively smooth but may have a few chunks. If you want a completely smooth butter, you may puree it lightly at this point.
  • 5
    Store the apple butter in a covered container in the refrigerator or pour the finished apple butter into prepared jars, leaving a quarter-inch of headspace. Seal the jars and process for 7 to 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Store the processed jars in a cool, dark place.
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