Apple butter makes a great filling for a simple vanilla cake, or a wonderful accompaniment for fresh biscuits. Although it is somewhat a labor of love, we think this homemade apple butter is worth the effort.
Ingredients
1 pound apples, chopped, with peel and core
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Directions
BRING apples and water to a boil, then reduce to simmer until apples are very tender, 20 minutes.
PRESS apples through a fine sieve or food mill, discard solids left behind.
MIX sugar and spices with apple mixture.
SIMMER over low heat for 2 hours until mixture thickens.
STORE up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
This sounds really good. I think I have to try this in an up coming cake.
How can i save this recipe? Is there a box of my recipes? I just registered here and I don't know how to use this site. Thanks!
How is this different from applesauce? I mean, although it is not the same as my applesauce recipe, I've seen other recipes using almost similar ingredients to this apple butter recipe. Are they interchangeable?
Apple butter is different than applesauce in that it is simmered for two hours, until it becomes a dark, thick, spicy/sweet spread, much different consistency than applesauce. The ingredients are similar, and you can certainly make apple butter out of your homemade applesauce, but the cooking method is different, that long slow cooking is the difference. I sometimes make apple butter in my crockpot, cooking it all day(with the lid removed at the end of cooking to facilitate evaporation and thickening), or in a roasting pan in my oven set at 325 and stirring every hour or so when I don't want to stand and stir a pot of simmering apple butter to prevent scorching. If I make a lot, I can it.