Apple Butter

Did you go to a picturesque small town to go apple picking and don’t know what to do with all the apples you paid for? Make some apple butter!

Apple butter is a childhood favorite of mine. It’s made from my favorite fall fruit mixed with a little bit of sugar and spice and is the perfect topping to a nice golden brown piece of toast. Apple butter makes a great homemade hostess gift – just add it to a mason jar with a pretty bow and a little label. It’s personal and easy to bring to someone in a pinch. Never show up to a party empty-handed!

Apple Butter

What should I serve my apple butter with?

Kick it up a notch and spread it on Cheddar cheese bread. You can also try adding it to a bowl of vanilla ice cream, with a drizzle of caramel. It’s like an easy version of apple pie. Slow roasting the apples evaporates any excess moisture and allows for a concentrated apple flavor, so that when the mixture is blended it is thick and flavorful.

What kind of apples should I use?

While any semi-sweet apple will work, I chose Gala apples because they have a good texture when baked and don’t require a lot of additional sugar. If Gala apples aren’t available, McIntosh, Cortland or Jonathan apples are good alternatives.

How to Make Apple Butter

1. Add apples to baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread the apples in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Bake the apples. Bake, stirring and rotating the pan occasionally, until the apples are deep amber color and caramelized, about 2 hours.
3. Blend the apples. Let the apples cool, then add to a blender with the cider vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse until the mixture is pureed and smooth.
4. Serve or store. Remove to an airtight container and store refrigerated. Apple butter can be stored for up to 1 month.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Apple Fritters with Cider Glaze
• Baked Apple, Blue Cheese and Chorizo Crostini
• Apple Crisp

Apple Butter

Print Pin

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Serves 3 cups

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• 6 pounds Gala apples, peeled, cored and quartered
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spread the apples in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake, stirring and rotating the pan occasionally, until the apples are deep amber color and caramelized, about 2 hours.
• Let the apples cool, then add to a blender with the cider vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse until the mixture is pureed and smooth.
• Remove to an airtight container and store refrigerated. Apple butter can be stored for up to 1 month.

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