Anybody have a good recipe for apple butter?

[The_Realistic_Optimist]

I love apple butter, but all of the store bought brands contain high fructose corn syrup, which I won't eat.

I'd like to make my own when apple season arrives down here. Suggestions for a simple but delicious recipe will be much appreciated.

 

[Dace]

VickiLynn gave me the following recipe...not exactly apple butter, but you might be interested.

Caramel Apple Jam
6 C. peeled and diced Granny Smith or Gala apples
1/2 C. water
1/2 tsp. butter
1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin
3 C. granulated sugar
2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Mix apples, water and butter together in a large pot.
Cook over low heat, stirring, until apples are soft (but not mushy).
Stir in pectin.
Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
Add sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Return to rolling boil and continue to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Remove from heat; skim foam.
Pour into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Yields 7 1/2 pints

 

[Emerald]

I just use my crock pot to cook it down-sure, it does take a couple of days but I don't have to worry about it scorching.
On the morning of the first day I just start by peeling and coring and dicing up enuf apples to fill my crock pot to the very top, give a glug of either orange juice or apple cider and put the lid on and let it cook down on high for about 2 hours- then I stir it and see how much has cooked down- I then add more peeled/cored/diced up apple to fill it full again-keep cooking it down and checking once an hour or so till it seems cooked down again by about 1/2(I do put a wooden spoon across the top of the crock and it keeps the lid ajar so that moisture escapes) I add one more load of the peeled/cored/diced up apple and then I put it on low(this is usually late afternoon to early evening) and let it cook out most of the moisture- this is the part that takes overnight and most of the next day-to test for done you just put a small drop (dime sized) on a plate and tip the plate-if no liquid pools and runs away from the drop of apple butter then it is time to taste and add spices if you wish and if your apples are not as sweet as you would like a touch of your favorite sweetener.
I like mine a bit sweeter and really spicy with pie spices- cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a touch of ginger.
I then put it in the jelly jars and water bath process for about 15 minutes.
Oh and one little thing I have learned in the past few years- hot things will taste sweeter than when they are cold- so if you are not sure if you have it to where you want it-put just a bit on a plate and put it in the fridge or freezer for a bit and then taste-I have under sweetened not only hot applesauce, but ketchup by not checking while cool.. Same with salt-things taste saltier when hot than when cool.

 

[hoosier]

I made applesauce without adding sugar, then cooked part of it down for apple butter. I found it easier to use the oven as I didn't have to stand over it like when cooking it on top of the stove. I used multiple 9x13 pans to give it a lot of surface area.
For smaller amounts, I thing the crock pot sounds like a good idea.

 

[Rebecka]

I just call my grandmother and whine!

No, really.. Core peel and slice a whole bunch of apples. I do 5lb batches. You can get one of those nifty little jobbies that does all that for you at once for about 15 bucks these days.

I toss them in a stock pot with some lemon juice and a about 2 cups of water..
then simmer.. and simmer ... and simmer. When they are soft, they go into the blender for the final breakdown. Then back into the pot with 2 tbsp cinnamon and a teaspoon of clove powder and a cup of raw sugar. Simmer till its thickened up. Sure you could water bath this, but I don't. I process at 10lbs for 25 minutes.

I don't like sweet stuff as a rule, so this is very lightly sweet.

For my sweet husbands batches its exactly the same with 5 whole habanero's added in the pot with the raw apples.

 

[hwillm1977]

If I make apple jelly, can I make apple butter with the left over apple mush?

 

[The_Realistic_Optimist]

That sounds yummy, too. Thanks for sharing!

VickiLynn gave me the following recipe...not exactly apple butter, but you might be interested.

Caramel Apple Jam
6 C. peeled and diced Granny Smith or Gala apples
1/2 C. water
1/2 tsp. butter
1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin
3 C. granulated sugar
2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Mix apples, water and butter together in a large pot.
Cook over low heat, stirring, until apples are soft (but not mushy).
Stir in pectin.
Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
Add sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Return to rolling boil and continue to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Remove from heat; skim foam.
Pour into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Yields 7 1/2 pints

 

[The_Realistic_Optimist]

Thanks so much, everybody. I'll be trying some of these. The crock pot idea is wonderful for me since I am currently stuck with an electric stove (rather than gas) that is difficult to keep at a constant temperature, so things tend to scorch on the stove.

 

[Beekissed]

We just make applesauce and then cook it down a little further to a thicker consistency.... add cinnamon and brown sugar to taste.

We don't start with water on our apples...we use apple juice.