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Try your hand at this simple recipe for homemade apple butter.
Photo by Fotolia/marysckin
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3 quarts or 6 pints SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 pounds apples, washed and quartered
- Apple cider
- 9 cups sugar
- Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Directions
- Place apples in a large stockpot. Add just enough apple cider to keep the apples from sticking while cooking. Cook until soft and mushy. Remove and cool slightly.
- Put mixture through a sieve. (You should have about 18 cups of purée.)
- In a large, ovenproof casserole dish or roasting pan, combine purée with remaining ingredients, mixing well. Spread mixture evenly, pressing into corners and smoothing top.
- Place dish in a cold oven and turn oven to 300 F. Bake until mixture is thick, stirring every 30 minutes to 1 hour for the first few hours, and then more often as the apple butter thickens. To test doneness, place a small amount of apple butter on a plate. When no rim of liquid separates from edges of the butter, it’s done.
- Immediately pour apple butter into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with lids and bands.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Want more home-canning recipes? Read Preserving and Canning Recipes for Garden Produce to get the most out of your harvest this year.
