Everyone who makes it understands why everyone who tastes it says this is THE BEST APPLE BUTTER RECIPE, ever!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Ontario Apple Growers. You can follow the OAG on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Carol and I were super excited to receive a call from the Ontario Apple Growers inviting us to join them for a tour of local apple orchards. For me, there were two key takeaways. First, we live in an area that grows some seriously awesome fruit. Click to visit the Ontario Apple Growers website where you can view recipes and check out other useful information like THIS VARIETY CHART, which I love.
Second key takeaway was to make something fabulous with these apples. I was practically giddy from their heady fragrance when I heard a little voice (swear) say, “Apple Butter! Show people how to make apple butter, Nik!” Well, I grabbed Carol and three bags of apples and hit the road. I had a plan!
Before listing key considerations on making THE BEST APPLE BUTTER RECIPE EVER, I wanted to remind you to click HERE for a refresher on HOME CANNING. If you’ve you’ve never canned before, this is an excellent recipe to try your hand at, as is our GARLIC DILL PICKLES and our ANTIPASTO SAUCE.
Let’s do this, friends! We’re making the BEST APPLE BUTTER RECIPE ever and here’s how we do it.
GALA APPLES
Gala apples get top marks for their sweet flavour and fine texture. They’re also very aromatic and work especially well when cooked for sauces and recipes such as this.
AMBROSIA APPLES
These relative newcomers to the apple party (the variety was discovered recently on a farm in B.C.!) are firm-textured. They have a distinctive cream-coloured flesh and are sweet and juicy. They cook down nicely in this recipe and they’re equally as good enjoyed raw – they have some bite!
MEASUREMENTS
I found the following measurements useful when I went to figure out the quantities of sugar and spices. I purposely reduced the sugar for this recipe by almost half because the AMBROSIAS were so sweet. A sugar-reduced recipe is always preferred. You can halve this recipe and still have the same tasty results, although I’d purée the apple butter and check its consistency at the 1½ hour mark.
1 medium-sized apple = about 1 cup and 1 pound of apples = about 3 cups
16 pounds of apples = about 48 cups and this recipe yields 30 x 250ml jars of apple butter
COOKING
Although I could have made this recipe using a slow cooker, I opted for the more traditional method of making apple butter on the stovetop. I like participating in the process – stirring this traditional apple butter recipe every 15 minutes as it cooks is important. This prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stirring also causes the gentle evaporation of liquid, which creates a very fragrant cottage or home.
Another thing to mention is just apple butter vs. applesauce. Although do love applesauce, I find the rich taste of apple butter to be more enjoyable and memorable. This happens when you cook apples slowly in this way.
A GIVEAWAY
What to do once you’ve made it… fill your jars, process them, finished them with paper caps and string and Give them away to the important people in your life. They’ll love you and the apple butter and all will be perfect in your world – true story, guaranteed.
NIK’S TRICKS
I’ve presented my three favourite ways of enjoying apple butter in the video, but in case you missed it, try dipping veggies into it or serving it on fancy crackers with cheddar, apple slices and freshly cracked black pepper. My ultimate favourite is a toasted English muffin smeared with peanut butter then a swipe of apple butter – amazing!
Pick your favourite apples because it’s time to make THE BEST APPLE BUTTER RECIPE!
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The Best Apple Butter Recipe
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Ingredients
- 16 lb. of apples
- 2L mulled apple cider
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Wash apples and remove the stems. Core the apples and cut into chunks. Discard the cores. Place the apple chunks into a food processor fitted with a cutting blade and process to a rough chop.
- Place processed apples and cider into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Place onto stovetop set to medium-high. Place three small plates (to perform the plate test) into the freezer.
- Stir the sugars into the mixture right before it comes to a boil. Add the spices, lemon juice and vanilla extract to the boiling mixture. Reduce to simmer and cook for two hours, stirring the apple butter thoroughly every 15 minutes.
- At the two-hour mark, carefully purée the apple butter to a very fine consistency using an immersion blender. This can also be done in small batches using a food processor or blender with the central cap removed to allow the heat to escape. CAUTION: the apple butter is hot.
- Place a dollop of the apple butter onto one of the plates from the freezer and allow it to sit for 30 seconds. Tilt the plate - if the apple butter holds its shape and position and no liquid weeps along the edge of the dollop, the apple butter is done. To get a thicker consistency, continue cooking and repeat the test every 15 minutes.
- For home canning:
- Place 30 250ml (8oz.) canning jars in the dishwasher and run the wash cycle without the addition of soap to sterilize the jars.
- Place lids and rings into a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Set aside.
- Submerge funnel and ladle in a large pot of boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
- Place jars onto a clean work surface. Place sterilized funnel on top of the first jar and scoop cooked apple butter in using the sterilized ladle. Leave ¼-inch of space at the top. Wipe the edge of the jar with a clean, damp cloth to remove any drippings.
- Place sterilized lid on top using magnet wand or tongs. Place ring on top and turn just until finger tight. Repeat process until all jars are filled.
- Transfer filled jars to boiling water and process for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove jars from canning pot using tongs. Place filled jars in a cool location and leave undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the following day to ensure that all of the lids have popped down and sealed.
Related by Recipe Type
Related by Ingredient
- Ambrosia Apples
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Gala Apples
- Granulated Sugar
- Ground Allspice
- Lemon Juice
- Mulled Apple Cider
- Nutmeg
- Pure Vanilla Extract
