Simple Apple Butter

[underused]

This recipe was previously posted on The Cookbook at Imzy. Since we're in early apple season (and the late-summer apples aren't far off), I thought now would be a good time to post it again.

I use this recipe for our early Lodi apples, but it's a great way to take advantage of any apples cheap and plentiful in season. Use a single variety or a mix–whatever's at hand. The finished product is lovely on bread (and heavenly on oatmeal).

I combined a couple of recipes to make this one. These spices/amounts worked for me, but taste as you go and experiment if you like. (I'm going to try the next batch with rosemary.)

Step one is fastest on a stove top, but I moved step two to the slow cooker; it's basically a reduction. I didn't have to pay too much attention and it kept the kitchen from getting tropical.

INGREDIENTS

10-12 cps apples (inc. core and skin*, quartered)
1 cp apple cider vinegar
2 cp water
sugar (about 4 cups, see below)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1-2 tbsp lemon juice (if it's fresh, you can add some chopped lemon rind, too)

STEP 1

Put quartered apples in a pot with water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes, until everything is mush.

Push the apples through a sieve or food mill into a large bowl. Measure the strained sauce as you return it to your pot (if you're cooking stovetop) or to a slow cooker so you know how much sugar to add (see below).

STEP 2

Add sugar--about a 1/2 cup for every cup of apple sauce. If your apples are very sweet (or you prefer something more tart), you can start with less. Taste as you go and add as needed up to the recommended amount.

Turn on your cooker or stove, add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly. Bring to a slow simmer. Cook uncovered until mixture thickens. At a higher temperature, this could take as little as 1.5 hours (stir frequently to keep the bottom from sticking or burning) I cooked ours on low in the slow cooker for 4 hours.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT'S DONE?

As you cook, your butter will darken, reduce, and thicken. Keep a saucer in the freezer and test your butter by dropping a teaspoonful onto the cold plate. Drag your finger through the center of the mixture. If the butter oozes into the empty space, keep cooking. If the two sides stay separated (see photo above), you're good!

CANNING

This recipe doesn't make all that much (3 pints?). If you're giving it to people who want to eat it now, just pop it into jars and, with a good lid on, it will keep in the fridge for 3 months or so. If you want to make larger amounts, longer-lasting gifts or save it for later, the internet is filled with people who know more about preserving than I.

*the core and skin contain pectin, which help things thicken.

Comments

[underused]

Your comment got me thinking about how many things are called "butter" that don't *have* butter: nut butters, maple butter, apple butter, cocoa butter. It seems super weird to me Oxford's only official butter entry is for dairy butter when non-dairy "butters" are so prevalent. I'm surprised there's no secondary definition.

[thedaughteroftyr]

No kidding. I don't think the thought had crossed my mind (I'm too busy trying to think about what to call my non dairy cheese, I usually call it Gary). Someone get those Oxford folks on the phone!