Apple Butter/3 Methods

Title:
Apple Butter/3 Methods

Yield:
10 Servings

Categories:
Canning,
Crockpot




Ingredients:





    16 c  Apple puree


     1 c  Apple cider


     4 c  Sugar; granulated


     4 c  Brown sugar


     4 ts Cinnamon






   This same recipe can be used to make apple, grape, peach, pear or plum


 butters.  In general use 1 cup fruit pulp to 1/2 cup sugar. Spice to taste


 and cook slowly. To make apple butter, use tart cooking apples, not the


 sweet eating varieties. If sweet apples are all you have to use, reduce the


 sugar by 1/3 to 1/2.


    Wash, quarter and core the unpeeled fruit.  Place in a heavy kettle with


 just enough water to prevent scorching. Cook until soft, stirring


 frequently,  and press through a food mill. Mix ingredients in a heavy


 kettle and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until thick. When


 ready, a spoonful put on a plate should hold its shape and not 'weep'


 liquid around the edges of the mound after sitting for five minutes. This


 usually takes about two hours of cooking but can take as long as four, so


 plan this project for a day when you have other things to do in the


 kitchen. Don't try and hurry the process as the mixture can easily burn and


 burned apple butter is only good for the compost pile. Stir frequently, and


 if possible use a 'heat difuser' between the burner and the kettle.


   Oven Method:  Cook the fruit butter in a roasting pan in a 250 - 300 F.


 oven until thick;  may take 6 to 8 hours. Stir occasionally. It needs less


 stirring this way but uses take much more energy and can be awkward to


 stir.


   Crockpot Method:  Put ingredients in crockpot and cook, uncovered, for


 about 12 hours, stirring occasionally, until it passes the test given


 above.


    When finished, pack into jars per standard canning methods and process


 pints 5 minutes or quarts 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Adapted from


 12 Months Harvest, Ortho Books, by Linda Shogren


 Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V4 #297 by COOKIT4U@aol.com on Nov 17, 1997