Spiced Apple Butter This recipe is from Canning for A New Generation (amzn.to/1fKkDHm) by Liana Krissof. Instead of canning, you can refrigerate the butter for 2-3 months, or freeze for up to a year. If you don’t have a food mill or Squeezo strainer, you’ll need to peel and core the apples before you start. You can puree the butter a second time with an immersion blender to achieve an ultra-smooth butter. Yield: About 6 half-pints or 3 pint jars. 6 pounds apples, cored and peeled only if necessary, cut into quarters 2 cups apple cider or water About 1½ cups sugar 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground aniseed (optional) INSTRUCTIONS Put the apples in a 6- or 8-quart heavy-bottomed pan. Add the cider and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely broken down and the peels have separated from the pulp, 30 to 40 minutes. Pass the mixture through a food mill to remove the peels and cores. (Or, if the apples are already peeled, puree it in batches in the food processor or blender). Measure the puree. For the stovetop: Rinse out the pan and return the puree to it. Add 2 tablespoons sugar per cup of puree, and add the spices. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring somewhat frequently with a wooden spoon, for several hours, until the puree is dark and thick enough to mound on a spoon. You should be able to dollop it on a plate and no liquid will seep out from the dollop. For the slow cooker: Pour the puree into a slow cooker, and stir in the sugar and spices. (Puree with immersion blender if desired.) Cook on the low setting with the lid propped up or set askew to allow the liquid to evaporate for 9 to 12 hours, stirring occasionally when you can, until thick and dark. (Keep in mind different slow cookers cook at different temperatures.) For canning: Bring the apple butter to a boil (you can turn the slow cooker on high for 10-15 minutes, or transfer the butter to pot to achieve this). Ladle hot apple butter into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Remove the jars from the canner, and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check to see that the lids have sealed, and immediately refrigerate any jars that haven’t sealed.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 04:28:24 +0000
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