I make about 15 quarts of apple butter once a year, can it and eat it throughout the year. Here is my basic recipe:
About 1 1/2 bushels apples (Rome, McIntosh, or combination) apple cider
Wash apples, cut in half, place
in huge pots with enough apple cider to cover the bottom of the pot. After the first pot is cooked, use the liquid
from the mush to cover the bottom of subsequent pots. Cook the apples on low heat for 12-24 hours.
When cooked,
allow to cool, then grind through a foley mill to remove seeds and skins. (You can use your hands and a sieve too, but
it's much harder.) Then take the pink applesauce that you have created and place it back in the huge pots with other
ingredients as follows:
1 quart applesauce 2 cups sugar 1 tbsp cinnamon pumpkin pie spice to taste
(note:
don't try to skip the first step by buying applesauce; it won't work.)
Cook for 12-24 hours on low, until mixture
has thickened and is a dark brown color. WARNING: make sure the heat is not too high, or the mixture will scorch the
bottom of the pot.
When finished cooking, turn the heat on high and place about 1 cup sake per three quarts cooked
apple butter, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes. Then place in sterilized bell jars and can.
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