Every fall, my family and I always took a trip to the Apple Orchard. There were so many things to do, like picking your own variety of apples of course, but also jams, jellies, butters and other activities to enjoy with the family. We always made a day of it, ending with a trip to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner...traditions were our thing and the Apple Orchard Day was a Big One for us. Of course, this gal had lots of work to do once we collected all of those sweet, tart, juicy hand-held globes of goodness. We usually picked at least 2 bushels so I could can apple butter and apple sauce to have on hand until the next fall festival. Good times...Good times...
Apple Butter...it's so easy to make and the smell that permeates your home will have your family looking forward to this tradition every year.
Lots of recipes you'll find on the internet includes a slow cooker, but I was raised the old fashioned way...you do it on the stove top. Just plan on being home all day...and most of the night, the longer, the better.
Of course Apple Butter is delicious on buttered toast, but there are so many other uses for it throughout the year. Use it in cookies, muffins, pancakes, scones, cupcakes, pork recipes, homemade BBQ sauce, pies and cakes...the uses are endless.
Yep...That's me :)
I went to a local family farm and bought 6lbs of Rome Apples and 3lbs of Gala Apples.
This will give you enough butter to can 6 pint jars.
An apple corer and slicer makes the job a lot easier...trust me.
I peel the skins (you can cook those down and make apple jelly...but that is another post.
Once peeled, add the sliced apples to a large stock pot with 3 cups of packed brown sugar, one cup of white sugar, 1 cup Apple Cider, 1Tbsp Cinnamon, 1tsp ground cloves, 1tsp ground nutmeg, 2Tbs lemon juice, 1tsp salt, 1tsp pumpkin spice(my secret ingredient) and that's it! Now bring it to a soft boil and reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook for up to 24hrs or more. Patience is a must!
One of the handiest tools I have is an Emulsion Blender made by Hamilton Beach! This thing is a BEAST! Now blend those apples until the consistency that suits you. I like mine nice and smooth.
I'm not gonna go over the canning process...if you don't know it, then STUDY IT!
After almost 30 hours of slow and low cooking, this is what my butter looks like...while warm, fill your jars to 1/4" of the rim with the butter and process for 10 minutes.
And like magic, you have Apple Butter...the best tasting apple butter EVER because you made it. Now, this recipe can be adjusted to your taste. I have made apple butter with NO SUGAR using sweet apples. This is your choice.
Enjoy and don't forget to share with Family and Friends Y'all
