Apple Butter

By TPMay

Ingredients

• 5 pounds apples, peeled, cored and diced (see note below)
• 1 3/4-cups apple cider
• 1 1/4-cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2-teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4-teaspoon ground mace
• 1/4-teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation

Step 1

In a large pot, bring the apples and cider to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the apples are soft, 30 to 35 minutes. Use a potato masher, fork or immersion blender to roughly mash the mixture. Return the apple mixture to the heat and stir in the sugar, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg.
Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened and becomes a deep rich brown, about 11⁄2-hours. The mixture will be relatively smooth but may have a few chunks. If you want a completely smooth butter, you may purée it lightly at this point. Store the apple butter in a covered container in the refrigerator or pour the finished apple butter into prepared jars (see notes at left), leaving a quarter-inch of headspace. Seal the jars and process for seven to 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Store the processed jars in a cool, dark place.
Notes:
You can use almost any variety of apples for apple butter, but a mixture of tart and sweet apples works best. Try Granny Smith, McIntosh, Gala and Jonathan. To prepare jars for canning, read over your recipe to determine what size and how many jars are needed. Be sure each jar has a lid and the circular band that holds the lid in place, and that they fit properly. Do not use jars with noticeable imperfections, such as cracks, chips or bent lids and/or bands. Jars should be cleaned and heated to sterilize before filling. This reduces the possibility of contamination from residue, dust or other impurities being trapped in the jar. It also ensures that the jar doesn't break when it comes in contact with the sudden heat of cooked foods.
Storage
Processed, this apple butter will keep for up to six months. Once the jars have been opened, store them in the refrigerator, where they will last for up to one week.