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20 to 30 minutes preparation time
approximately 1 hour cooking time (more if canning)
Makes 7-8 pints apple butter
8 pounds tart apples, quartered and cored
5 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon all spice
zest and juice of 2 lemons
Put a couple of plates in the refrigerator to chill.
Put the apples in a large stockpot and cover them with 2 cups of water. Bring them to a simmer and cook until the apples are very soft, about 20 minutes.
While the apples are still hot, carefully scoop them into the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth (the skins will purée more finely when they are hot).
Return the apples to the stockpot and add the remaining ingredients. Cover the pot and heat the mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove the cover and continue stirring and cooking until the mixture thickens.
To test to see if the mixture is sufficiently thick, put a teaspoon of the apple butter on one of the chilled plates and return it to the refrigerator. After a minute, remove it and tilt the plate. Most of the apple butter should remain in the center of the plate, while some of it -- especially the more liquid portion -- will slowly spread out towards the edge of the plate. When the preserves have firmed up to this extent, pour them into storage jars.