The Essence of Fall in a Jar: Apple Butter

I recently went to an orchard and was allowed to pick as much fruit as I wished, for free. What a blessing! One of the things I came home with was a bag of cider apples. I don’t own a cider press, and I certainly wasn’t going to build one for this one time event. So I chose to make apple butter.

Apple butter is basically thick, spicy applesauce. It is delicious spread on toasted bread and makes a nice change of pace addition to a charcuterie board. You can use it in place of applesauce in recipes. It can make a nice gift as well! It also happens to be incredibly easy to make, so let’s get going!

Supplies

• Fresh Apples. However many you’d like, but I recommend having a rather large amount as this will cook down quite a bit.
• Apple corer or sharp knife.
• Vegetable Peeler or paring knife.
• Instant pot, slow cooker, or large pot with lid for stove.
• Ground Cinnamon.
• Ground Nutmeg.
• Pinch of Salt.
• Water.
• Potato Masher, blender, food processor, or food mill.
• Jars, or containers for finished apple butter. We are not canning it, so your containers need to be freezer safe.
• Honey or sweetener of choice.

How-To:

First up, peel and core your apples. I am going to assume you know how to peel an apple, how to remove the core, and cut the apple into slices. Take the time to cut off any bruising and check for insects, worms, etc. I peeled my apples first, then used an apple corer and slicer to make things a little faster.

I save all my peels and cores. There a a lot of things you can make out of the apple scraps. If you don’t want to use them right away, put them in freezer bags and keep them in the freezer for future use. (Stay tuned for another post about what I did with my scraps!)

After all the apples are cleaned and sliced, it’s time to add the sweetener and spices. You could also do this step after you have your apples in your cooking vessel. For my apple butter I chose cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey. I also like to add a pinch of salt, I think it helps the flavors really come together. I don’t measure, I go by ‘feel’. You can start with just a small amount of everything and taste as you go, adding as desired. Remember this is going to cook down and concentrate in flavor, so start by adding less than you think you need.

Once the spices and sweetener are added, it’s time to put the apples into your cooking vessel of choice and start cooking them down. I used my Instant Pot on slow cook this time. A crockpot on low, or a very low heat on the stove will work as well. The apples will take several hours to cook down and thicken, but you need to check on them often to make sure they aren’t burning, and to give them a stir. Don’t forget to put the lid on while the apples are cooking to keep any from splashing out as they cook.

Once your apples are soft and mushy, start mashing them in the pot with either a potato masher, or a large spoon. I like to use the masher. Continue to let it cook, mashing and stirring occasionally, until it reaches the consistency of very thick applesauce.

When the apples have reached the consistency you like, take them off the heat. If you want a very smooth texture to your apple butter, you can use a food processor, blender, or food mill to blend them smooth. Remember to work in batches, and be careful, it’s hot! You may need to add a tiny bit of water if your blender or food processor is having a hard time and seizing up. I like mine a little chunky, so I just use the potato masher.

Place into your freezer safe containers, unless you plan on using all your apple butter quickly, then you can put it into jars and refrigerate. It should last several weeks in your refrigerator. I put some of mine in these cute 8 ounce jars to use right away, and I put the rest in freezer containers for later use. They should be good for about 6 months in the freezer.

That is all it takes to make homey, delicious apple butter. Keeping your family fed, and making memories doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult.

I’d love to know if you’re going to make this! Feel free to leave a comment!