Spiced Apple Butter
Crisp apples are woven with vivid spices of cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, allspice, and cloves creating a fruit butter that is full of fragrance and flavor.
Equipment
- Large kettle or stockpot
- Immersion blender
- 5 half-pint jars
- Canner for sealing the jars, optional
Ingredients
- 3 pounds assorted apples*, about 6 to 8 apples
- 4 cups pure, unsweetened apple juice
- 1-½ cups dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Peel, core and slice the apples – you should have about 10 cups. Combine the apples with the apple juice in a large kettle or stockpot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat then cover the pot with foil or a lid. Cook for 30 minutes or until the apples are very tender.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the apples until you have a very smooth sauce.
- Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
- Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium heat and continue cooking uncovered for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The time will vary depending on the juiciness of your apples. Stir the butter frequently. The last 15 to 20 minutes you will need to stir almost constantly to prevent the butter from sticking and scorching.
- Ladle the butter into clean, sterile jars. Refrigerate or process in a water bath.
Notes
*I used 1 Granny Smith, 2 Gala, 3 McIntosh, and 1 Fuji. Mix it up and use your favorite cooking apples.
If you’re canning the preserves in a water bath, follow the directions provided by the manufacturer of your jars. Ball makes wonderful canning jars and has great step-by-step guidelines to canning safely on their website.