Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations

Apple butter is a delicious concoction made with fresh apples and apple cider, or water, simmered down to a thick, buttery-like spreadable consistency. It’s a cross between applesauce and apple jam with a ton of packed in flavor and a delicious sweetness that cannot be beat. I love jams and jellies, but my favorite type of fruit spread has to be the fruit butter. It’s just so much more flavorful and is cooked in a traditional way without added pectin, which means it usually takes a couple of hours to put together. Sometimes I think the long wait makes the best tasting food, don’t you?

In this apple butter tutorial, you will learn how to create delicious autumnal flavored apple spreads. Apple butter is perfectly enjoyed on freshly baked bread, biscuits, or scones!

Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide

testing fruit butters for doneness:

Fruit butter must be cooked over medium-high heat at a gentle rolling boil. This means that they scorch easily, so they must be monitored and stirred frequently. I have also noticed that they end to seize or pop while they cook, splattering fruit everywhere! To prevent this, you must stir stir stir. Most fruit butter need at least 30 minutes to cook but it is usually closer to 45-60 minutes until they are done. To know if the butter is done, it should hold its shape on a spoon. You can also check by putting a dab of butter on a cold plate; if no liquid separates from the butter and creates a rim around the edge, it is done.

Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide
Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide
Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide

ingredients & recipe:

MAKES ABOUT EIGHT 8 OZ HALF PINT JARS OR 4 PINT JARS:

  • 6 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and quartered

  • 2 cups apple cider

  • 3 cups granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1 tsp cloves

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine apples and apple cider. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes.

  • Transfer the apples to a food processor or food mill and puree until a uniform texture is made. You do not want to liquefy the apples; it is similar to a thick applesauce consistency.

  • Return the apples to the stainless steel saucepan. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent popping and burning. Reduce heat and boil gently until the mixture thickens to a buttery spread consistency and can hold its shape on a spoon.

  • While the butter is cooking, prepare your boiling water canner. Click here for more information on preparing your canner.

  • Ladle hot butter into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rim, apply lid and band until fingertip tight. Place jar back into canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

  • Process jars in canner for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid, allow jars to sit in canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars. Check seals after 12-24 hours.

Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide
Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide

recipe variations:

Spice Variations: The amount or types of spices that you use in this recipe can be changed. Other spice options might include ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cardamom, etc.

Less Sugar: Substitute 1 cup honey for the 3 cups granulated sugar.

Traditional Apple Butter: Substitute 3 cups water for apple cider and increase sugar to 6 cups.

Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide
Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide
Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations - Under A Tin Roof Blog

In the above video, I make the original version with apple cider, as written above. You can see that we add quite a bit more ground cloves than I recommend in the recipe, and it turned out perfectly delicious. This was mostly because my son used the wrong measuring spoon! Oops! It is a pleasure to teach him how to cook.

As for storing, my recipe is for canning apple butter. You do not have to do this, though it makes a LOT! You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or you can freeze it in freezer safe containers. Have you made apple butter before?

xoxo Kayla

Sweet Cider Apple Butter: Canning Recipe

Sweet Cider Apple Butter: Canning Recipe
Yield: 8 (8 oz) Half-Pint Jars or 4 (16 oz) Pint Jars
Author: Kayla Lobermeier
Prep time: 2 HourCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 2 H & 10 M
Do you love the taste of delicious cinnamon applesauce? If yes, you will most definitely enjoy this sweet cider apple spread. Apple butter is thick and creamy with a spreadable texture like butter, perfect for layering on freshly baked bread or biscuits.

Ingredients

  • 6 pounds (2.72 kg) apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 2 cups (480 ml) apple cider
  • 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp (5 g) ground cloves

Instructions

  1. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine apples and apple cider. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes.
  2. Transfer the apples to a food processor or food mill and puree until a uniform texture is made. You do not want to liquefy the apples; it is similar to a thick applesauce consistency.
  3. Return the apples to the stainless steel saucepan. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent popping and burning. Reduce heat and boil gently until the mixture thickens to a buttery spread consistency and can hold its shape on a spoon.
  4. While the butter is cooking, prepare your boiling water canner. Click here for more information on preparing your canner.
  5. Ladle hot butter into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rim, apply lid and band until fingertip tight. Place jar back into canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
  6. Process jars in canner for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid, allow jars to sit in canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars. Check seals after 12-24 hours.

Notes

Spice Variations: The amount or types of spices that you use in this recipe can be changed. Other spice options might include ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cardamom, etc.

Less Sugar: Substitute 1 cup (240 ml) honey for the 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar.

Traditional Apple Butter: Substitute 3 cups (720 ml) water for apple cider and increase sugar to 6 cups (1,200 g).


more posts you may enjoy!

Video: How to Make Apple Butter with Variations Canning Recipe and Guide
Kayla Lobermeier

Kayla Lobermeier is an author, blogger, recipe developer, photographer, homesteader, and co-owner of the brand Under A Tin Roof with her mother, Jill Haupt. She lives in rural Iowa with her husband, children, and parents on their multi-generational family farm. Under A Tin Roof is a small flower farm and online lifestyle company focused on sharing the joy of seasonal, slow living with others who enjoy gardening, preserving, and cooking with wholesome ingredients. Kayla has been sharing her family’s journey into a simpler and sustainable lifestyle for almost a decade, and she has been featured in publications such as Willow and Sage Magazine, Where Women Cook, Heirloom Gardener, Folk Magazine, In Her Garden, Beekman 1802 Almanac, and Gardenista. She has taught cooking and gardening lessons through Kirkwood Community College and has hosted farm -to -table suppers at her family farm. You can usually find her sipping on a hot cup of coffee, reading up on the domestic lives of the Victorians, and snuggling with barn cats. Visit Kayla at www.underatinroof.com or on Instagram and YouTube @underatinroof.

Previous
Previous

Au Gratin Winter Squash & Potatoes

Next
Next

Video: Victorian Halloween Special