Apple Butter
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It can be challenging to work with packed jars when you are canning. Jar lifters are a set of scissor-like tongs that you can use to grasp your jars and move them around. The jar lifters will make it easier to place and remove packed jars from your boiling water canner. While applesauce is typically made over the stove (since it doesn’t take long), apple butter can be made easily in a slow cooker. Just dump your apples in the base of your slow cooker then pour your sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt over the top. Give this a quick stir and cook on your slow cooker’s high setting for an hour.
Once the batter around the edges begins to brown, add 3 to 4 tbsp. Of cooked apples on top, then transfer the skillet to a pre-heated oven set to 350 degrees, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. When the center is firm and the edges are crispy, the pancake is done. After five minutes, use your jar lifter to carefully remove your jars from the canner, and set them in a cool place.
Coring, Peeling and Quartering the Apples
Hi Sharral, it sounds like the apples you used might have been a drier/baking variety. Without the natural juices from the apples, it would impact the overall yield. We make this apple butter recipe every single year and have never only had 3 pints as the yield.
Turn the slow cooker on high and put on the lid. Cooking apples, making applesauce from them using a food mill, and then thickening the applesauce to a spreadable consistency is how apple butter is prepared. Apple butter is a fantastic way to use fresh apples in the fall when they are plentiful because many pounds of apples just take up a few cups of apple butter.
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It is important to remove any dead space, or air pockets, that may form in the jars as you are packing them. Once you have finished with your initial packing of the jars, use your canning spatula to pack down the apple butter tighter, removing any air pockets. It may be necessary to ladle in more apple butter after you’ve removed the air pockets to get the jar back to ¼ inch of headspace. For this recipe, you’ll have to peel over six pounds of apples. You can use a standard potato peeler, but it is tedious, and takes a long time.
Fruit butters are often lost in the shuffle when it comes to all the different types of preserves out there. They are creamy spreads made primarily out of fruit; their consistency is similar to that of butter, hence the name. Finally you can eat, can, or freeze the apple butter.
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Can I add stevia instead of sugar for taste? Also curious about carb content per tablespoon. I have been without apple butter many years and long for the taste. That said, it can be done assuming you have a thick-bottomed pot and a stove with a low simmer burner.
Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bring this mixture to boiling then reduce the heat. Cook, uncovered, over very low heat, about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until the mixture is very thick. The mixture should be the consistency of very thick applesauce.
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If you plan to can fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, a good food processor is definitely worth the investment. A good food mill will also suffice for this task. Now that you know what fruit butters are, it’s time to can some of apple butter of your very own. Thank you for sharing the history of apple butter recipes and for being diligent about canning safety.
When you’re ready to use it, thaw it out in the refrigerator. Once it’s been thawed, you can keep it in the fridge for up to three weeks. Place apple sauce back into the original pot. Set back over medium heat and add sugar, spices, and vanilla.
If you are already using boiling water canning techniques to preserve other foods, like pickles, you have most of the equipment you need to make apple butter. There are a few additional items that save you time when you make fruit butters, so consider buying them when you can. They suggest adding 2 cups of vinegar to 8 pounds of apples. I made that recipe and I actually had to throw it away because it made me gag. Don’t add more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice to a 5 to 8 pound batch of apple butter. If you're running low on pantry space or don't have enough canning jars on hand, save your homemade apple butter by freezing it.
The biggest concern when canning apple butter is removing bubbles. I’d suggest using straight-sided canning jars like wide-mouth pint mason jars for big batches or straight-sided half-pint jam jars. Both of those are much easier to pack cleanly without air bubbles. The first thing you should know is that apple butter is not made from butter. There isn’t even any butter in it at all; it gets the name for having a similar texture and spreadability to room temperature butter. Apple butter is a sweetened, lightly spiced and concentrated apple jam that can be spread on a variety of goods, most commonly on toast.
It is most preferable to make use of a canner. It is mainly the water bath canning method for apple butter. When it comes to apple butter canning, water bath canning is the best option. This is because apples are high in acid and will stay fresher for longer with this method. There are a wide variety of flavours you can add to apple butter. Try your hand at our Baked Bourbon-Apple Butter that’s infused with sensational notes of cinnamon, ginger, and bourbon.
Properly sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to one year. Store them in a cool, dry place, like a pantry or basement. Remember, once you open a jar, you cannot re-seal it; any apple butter remaining in an opened jar must be refrigerated and eaten as soon as possible. Once you’re done peeling, coring, quartering and washing your apples, place them all in the large saucepan, and add in the cider as well. It is always a good idea to gently cover your processed canning jars with a large towel for 24 hours, and ensure they seal properly. You will use a ladle to transfer your apple butter from the saucepan to the jars.
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