How to Make Apple Butter with Variations: Canning Recipe & Video Guide — Under A Tin Roof (2024)

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Apple butter is a delicious concoction made with fresh apples and apple cider, or water, simmered down to a thick, buttery-like spreadable consistency. It’s a cross between applesauce and apple jam with a ton of packed in flavor and a delicious sweetness that cannot be beat. I love jams and jellies, but my favorite type of fruit spread has to be the fruit butter. It’s just so much more flavorful and is cooked in a traditional way without added pectin, which means it usually takes a couple of hours to put together. Sometimes I think the long wait makes the best tasting food, don’t you?

In this apple butter tutorial, you will learn how to create delicious autumnal flavored apple spreads. Apple butter is perfectly enjoyed on freshly baked bread, biscuits, or scones!

testing fruit butters for doneness:

Fruit butter must be cooked over medium-high heat at a gentle rolling boil. This means that they scorch easily, so they must be monitored and stirred frequently. I have also noticed that they end to seize or pop while they cook, splattering fruit everywhere! To prevent this, you must stir stir stir. Most fruit butter need at least 30 minutes to cook but it is usually closer to 45-60 minutes until they are done. To know if the butter is done, it should hold its shape on a spoon. You can also check by putting a dab of butter on a cold plate; if no liquid separates from the butter and creates a rim around the edge, it is done.

ingredients & recipe:

MAKES ABOUT EIGHT 8 OZ HALF PINT JARS OR 4 PINT JARS:

• 6 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and quartered

• 2 cups apple cider

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp cloves

DIRECTIONS:

• In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine apples and apple cider. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 20-30 minutes.

• Transfer the apples to a food processor or food mill and puree until a uniform texture is made. You do not want to liquefy the apples; it is similar to a thick applesauce consistency.

• Return the apples to the stainless steel saucepan. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent popping and burning. Reduce heat and boil gently until the mixture thickens to a buttery spread consistency and can hold its shape on a spoon.

• While the butter is cooking, prepare your boiling water canner. Click here for more information on preparing your canner.

• Ladle hot butter into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rim, apply lid and band until fingertip tight. Place jar back into canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

• Process jars in canner for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid, allow jars to sit in canner for 5 minutes. Remove jars. Check seals after 12-24 hours.

recipe variations:

Spice Variations: The amount or types of spices that you use in this recipe can be changed. Other spice options might include ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cardamom, etc.

Less Sugar: Substitute 1 cup honey for the 3 cups granulated sugar.

Traditional Apple Butter: Substitute 3 cups water for apple cider and increase sugar to 6 cups.

In the above video, I make the original version with apple cider, as written above. You can see that we add quite a bit more ground cloves than I recommend in the recipe, and it turned out perfectly delicious. This was mostly because my son used the wrong measuring spoon! Oops! It is a pleasure to teach him how to cook.

As for storing, my recipe is for canning apple butter. You do not have to do this, though it makes a LOT! You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or you can freeze it in freezer safe containers. Have you made apple butter before?

xoxo Kayla