Apple Butter for Canning: A Sweet & Spicy Treat
Apple butter is a delicious and versatile condiment, perfect for spreading on toast, topping pancakes, or adding a touch of sweetness to savory dishes. Making your own apple butter is surprisingly simple and allows you to control the sweetness and spices to your liking. Here’s a detailed recipe for canning apple butter:
Ingredients:
- Apples: 10 pounds of tart apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn)
- Water: 1/2 cup
- Sugar: 1 1/2 cups (adjust to your desired sweetness)
- Cinnamon: 1 tablespoon (or to taste)
- Nutmeg: 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)
- Allspice: 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste)
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
Equipment:
- Large stockpot: For cooking the apples
- Immersion blender or food mill: To puree the apples
- Canning jars: Pint or half-pint jars (sterilized)
- Canning lids and rings: (new, unused)
- Jar lifter: For safely handling hot jars
- Water bath canner: For processing the jars
- Ladle: For filling jars with apple butter
Instructions:
- Prepare the apples: Wash and core the apples. Cut them into quarters or eighths, depending on size.
- Cook the apples: Place the apples and water in the stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until the apples are very soft.
- Puree the apples: Use an immersion blender or food mill to puree the cooked apples until smooth.
- Add the spices and sugar: Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and sugar. Simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple butter thickens.
- Prepare the jars: Sterilize the jars and lids according to your preferred method (boiling in water or using a dishwasher).
- Fill the jars: Carefully ladle the hot apple butter into the sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace at the top.
- Wipe the rims: Wipe the jar rims with a clean, damp cloth to remove any spills.
- Apply lids and rings: Place a new lid on each jar and screw on the ring until fingertip tight.
- Process the jars: Place the filled jars in a water bath canner (make sure the water covers the jars by at least an inch). Bring the water to a boil and process for 20 minutes for pint jars or 15 minutes for half-pint jars.
- Remove and cool: Carefully remove the jars from the canner using a jar lifter and place them on a clean, dry towel. Allow the jars to cool completely. You should hear a popping sound as the lids seal.
- Store: Once the jars have cooled completely, check the lids for proper sealing. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place.
Tips:
- Adjust the sweetness: You can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste. Start with the suggested amount and add more if needed.
- Use different spices: Experiment with other spices, such as ginger, cardamom, or cloves.
- Add other fruits: You can add other fruits to the apple butter, such as pears, peaches, or plums.
- Freeze the apple butter: If you don’t plan on canning the apple butter, you can freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Enjoy your homemade apple butter! This simple recipe will result in a delicious and long-lasting treat.
