APPLE BUTTER

By curly

Ingredients

• 4 pounds apples
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 cups sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Peel, core and slice the apples into eighths.

Place in large heavy pot with cider and water. Cook slowly until soft.

Add sugar and spices and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth, or put through a wire sieve.

Continue cooking until the butter sheets. This should take several hours or all day. The butter should be stirred frequently.

In the “old days” apple butter was always made outdoors with all the neighbors coming to spend the day and taking their turn at stirring the pot of the fragrant concoction. The secret in making real old-fashioned apple butter is in the very slow cooking.

Quality cooking apples: Gravenstein – a great pie apple Gala – very sweet, good for pies
Rome Beauty – holds its shape well Golden delicious – sweet and soft Jonagold – sweet, soft good
Jonathan – mild, tart and soft Pippin – hard, tart and flavorful sauce
Winesap – tart, tasty and crisp Granny Smith – bland, tart and hard