Recipe: Apple Butter

Doesn't apple butter sound delicious?  Apple + Butter = Yum.  However, I recently found out that there is actually no butter in apple butter...it is just applesauce cooked right down until it becomes the consistency of butter.  Regardless, I was in the mood for apple butter and after a quick web search in which Ottawa foodies declare that all store bought apple butter in this area is simply inedible - I decided to buy a bag of apples and make my own.  Here's how I did it...

Ingredients:

6 gala apples
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1.5 cups sugar
small pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

1) Peel, core and slice the apples into chunks.  Cut out any damaged parts.  Feed peels and cores to chickens.

2) Put apple pieces into a large pot, add cider vinegar and water.  Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until apples are soft (about 20 minutes).  Remove from heat.

3) Spoon cooked apples out of liquid and into a separate bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of cooked apples.  Mix to dissolve sugar.  Add a dash of salt and the cinnamon, cloves, allspice and lemon juice.

4) Mash apple and spice mixture with a potato masher.

5) Cook mixture uncovered in a large, wide pot on medium low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming.  Cook for 1 hour until thick and smooth (the consistency of butter).

Helpful Hints:

Apple butter is great on toast, pancakes, in oatmeal and on pizza as a substitute for tomato sauce (think Nonna Mela pizza from Woodenheads in Kingston).  Yum!

Source:

Recipe adapted from Elise Bauer's Apple Butter Recipe posted on September 20, 2005 on http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apple_butter/