Apple Butter 2013....it's Fall Yall! (10-7-13)

[raastros2]

try boiling the peanuts in crab boil next time

 

[kathrynn]

 
try boiling the peanuts in crab boil next time

Hmmm.....I prefer just plain ol' salt....but some Old Bay or something would be good too.

Kat

 

[link]

Looks wonderful!  Doesn't it smell like heaven too?

Kat

Here it is ready for the freezer. Man is it good!

image.jpg

• link
• Oct 19, 2013

 

[kathrynn]

Look perfect to me!

Glad you tried and liked it!

Kat

 

[raastros2]

ever tried mixing some of your apple butter with some bbq sauce for pork chops Kat?

 

[kathrynn]

 
ever tried mixing some of your apple butter with some bbq sauce for pork chops Kat?

I was thinking about doing that the next time I make some sauce.  I typically dont use the sauce myself...but have some on hand for those that do like some.

I like sorghum in my sauces....not molasses.

Great idea!

Kat

 

[raastros2]

yeah i dont use alot either unless its for ribs....i put the apple butter and sauce together with beer in my foil during the foiling process instead of juice and sauce and beer 

 

[siddpup]

 
I got 9 pint jars of Apple Butter with the last batch I canned last nite!  Here is one of the crocks full...waiting to be jarred and canned.

apple butter 10-7.JPG

• kathrynn
• Oct 8, 2013

Yummmm!

Kat

I was trying to decide what my last batch would be this year (I have 7 dozen jars of assorted jams and jellies put up so far and need about another dozen/dozen and half to get me through the holidays).  I was thinking about trying marmalade again-but I have always had terrible luck with it.  Suddenly apple butter has moved right up the list.  :>  It really looks good.

 

[kathrynn]

 

 
I got 9 pint jars of Apple Butter with the last batch I canned last nite!  Here is one of the crocks full...waiting to be jarred and canned.

apple butter 10-7.JPG

• kathrynn
• Oct 8, 2013

Yummmm!

Kat

I was trying to decide what my last batch would be this year (I have 7 dozen jars of assorted jams and jellies put up so far and need about another dozen/dozen and half to get me through the holidays).  I was thinking about trying marmalade again-but I have always had terrible luck with it.  Suddenly apple butter has moved right up the list.  :>  It really looks good.

Thank you!  Its easy toooo!

show pics if you do this!

Kat

 

[gary s]

Kat, we love apple butter. My wife cans a lot of stuff but have not tried apple butter, Do you or would you have a recipe you would share .  Also love boiled peanuts we do a batch every so often'

Thanks

Gary

 

[kathrynn]

 
Kat, we love apple butter. My wife cans a lot of stuff but have not tried apple butter, Do you or would you have a recipe you would share .  Also love boiled peanuts we do a batch every so often'

Thanks

Gary

sure....it's post #27 on this thread.....but since it's so far back....here it is again.

Kat's Apple Butter

I get a 1/2 peck of a very tart apple...like Winesaps

a 1/4 peck of a golden delicious (or a softer apple)

1 cup of Apple cider (fresh is better) 

1 lemon

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon on ground cloves

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of Allspice

Peel and core the apples.  I use half of one bag and half the other bag.  If you only have one large crock pot...will make 2 batched from the amount of apples.  Rough chop them and throw into the crock pot.  Mound it up almost too high...but to where the lid will stay on.  The apples will cook down to less than half of what you think it will.

Add the sugar and spices....Then Squeeze the lemon to get all the juice on top of the apples...will keep the acidity high and keep them from turning too brown.  Then add the Apple Cider.  Put the lid on and let the apples cook overnight on low about 8-10 hours.  Now...in the morning...stir the apples down...they will be soupy soft.  Put the lid back on...but crack it and turn it on warm...so the liquids can evaporate some. Usually about another 4-6 hours.  Use an Immersion blender (stick blender) and puree the apple butter until it is like baby food smooth.

Put into 1/2 pint or pint jars.  Get the Water bath canner ready...and process for 10 minutes.  Take out of thw water bath canner and let sit for about 12 hours.  Can be stored for up to a year.  This butter will be a nice soft chocolate brown from the spices.

Kat

 

[siddpup]

 
Thank you!  Its easy toooo!

show pics if you do this!

Kat

Okay-here they are.

I must admit-I did a marmalade again.  And failed (again).  I just have bad luck with marmalades.  At least this one jelled up (unlike my last failure).  But the rind never softened and it was so bitter that it was inedible (and I like bitter marmalades).

So, thanks to your timely reminder, apple butter moved right to the top of the list.

I started with 20 pounds of mixed apples (mostly Granny Smith and Gala). 

About 3 cups of unfiltered & unsweetened apple cider.

Quite a few glugs of apple cider vinegar.

The zest and juice of 3 lemons.

Quite a bit of brown sugar.

Several cups of regular granulated sugar.

1/4 - 1/2 cup of molasses

1/2 cup or so of honey

Cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, ginger, allspice, cloves, cardamom-some.

Yes-for this, I pretty much cook without a net.  Whatever seems to be needed to make it taste right.

I do my apple butter in big batches in a roaster oven.

This is the start with the peeled/cored apples, apple and lemon juice, some sugar and the starting bunch of spices.

Apple Butter Step 1 2013.jpg

• siddpup
• Nov 3, 2013

I start them at about 250-300F and after about 2-3 hours, mash them with a potato masher to get them ready for the overnight cook.

Apple Butter Step 2 2013.jpg

• siddpup
• Nov 3, 2013

Then it all goes overnight at 200F to really thicken up and come together.  I leave the lid propped on the wooden spoons so that some of the liquid can evaporate some to thicken things up.  I run it through a food mill to  get it really smooth and to make sure to get any seeds or skin that might have slipped through when I was peeling/coring.  I add any sugar that needs to be added (I usually go light on the first addition as it is easier to add sugar at this point than it is to somehow remove it:>) and spices (it needed more cinnamon when I checked).  I then let it cook for a couple more hours and this is what it looks like when it is ready to can.

Apple Butter Ready to Can 2013 (1).jpg

• siddpup
• Nov 3, 2013

And here is my final yield.  18 jars of apple butter and a house that smells of apples and spices.  Yum.

Apple Butter All Done Nov 13 (1).jpg

• siddpup
• Nov 3, 2013

I had already made 7 dozen or so other jars of jam/jelly (cherry jam, raspberry jam, blackberry jam, pomegranate jelly, 3-berry jam, red currant jelly, red wine jelly, port wine jelly, white wine jelly, blackberry wine jelly and blueberry jam).  So my total for the year is 8.5 dozen-which is about what I need for the holidays. This is all my "other" jam/jelly yield for the year.

2013 Jam Yield.jpg

• siddpup
• Nov 3, 2013

Thanks again for posting your apple butter.  It got me motivated to make some this year-and I haven't done apple butter in several years, so this should make some of my giftees very happy.  :>