Apple Butter is an old-fashioned fruit preserve that turns fresh apples into a deeply flavored, velvety spread through long, gentle cooking. Apple butter became especially popular in American farm kitchens, where an abundant fall apple crop could be transformed into something that would keep well beyond harvest season. This handwritten version uses a wonderfully simple traditional method: quartered apples are cooked until tender, pressed through a sieve, sweetened, and seasoned with cinnamon and cloves. A small amount of vinegar adds brightness and balances the sweetness. Slowly simmering the mixture while stirring concentrates the apples until they become thick, smooth, warmly spiced, and perfect for spreading on toast, biscuits, pancakes, or warm bread.
Ingredients
- 4 qt apples (pared and quartered, approximately 16 cups)
- Water (enough to cover the apples)
- granulated sugar (approximately ½ the volume of the cooked apple pulp)
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
- ½ tsp ground cloves (or to taste)
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the Apples
- Place the pared and quartered apples in a large heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add enough water to cover the apples.
- Cook until the apples are very soft, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Apple Pulp
- Drain off excess water if necessary.
- Rub the softened apples through a sieve to create a smooth pulp.
Step 3: Add the Sugar
- Measure the apple pulp.
- Add granulated sugar equal to approximately half the volume of the pulp.
Step 4: Add Vinegar and Spices
- Stir in ¼ cup vinegar.
- Add cinnamon and cloves to taste.
Step 5: Simmer Until Thick
- Return the mixture to low heat.
- Simmer slowly, stirring frequently and increasingly often as the mixture thickens, until the apple butter is dark, smooth, and thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon, approximately 1½ to 3 hours.
Tips
- Use a combination of sweet and tart apples for a more complex apple flavor.
- Adjust the sugar after tasting the cooked apple pulp; naturally sweet apples may need less.
- Apple cider vinegar is a particularly good choice for the ¼ cup vinegar called for on the card.
- Start with modest amounts of cinnamon and cloves, then adjust them to taste as the original recipe directs.
- For additional warmth, add a small pinch of nutmeg or allspice.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to reduce the chance of scorching during the long simmer.
- Stir more frequently as the apple butter thickens because the concentrated fruit can easily stick to the bottom.
- For an especially smooth texture, press the cooked apples through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill.
- Apple butter will thicken somewhat further as it cools.
- Serve with biscuits, toast, pancakes, waffles, muffins, or warm homemade bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 60kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 0.6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg