Butter on toast is good, but apple butter is delicious. It adds some extra flavor to toast, and you can even put it on ice cream. You don’t even have to buy apple butter at the store. This easy apple butter recipe is such a breeze that you can whip it up anytime you’re ready for a little treat.
Homemade Apple Butter Ingredients
You need some basic ingredients to make apple butter. Gather:
- 4 pounds of Gravenstein or Granny Smith apples
- 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups of water
- Approximately 4 cups of sugar (to be determined based on the amount of apple pulp)
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon of allspice
- 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
If you can’t find Gravenstein or Granny Smith apples, you can substitute them for something else. Make sure you stick with apples that are good for cooking, though.
Prepare the Apples
You need to prepare the apples before making the butter. Cut all the apples into quarters, leaving the peels and cores intact. Remove any damaged parts you come across while preparing the apples.
Cook the Apples
Then, put a large pot on the stove and add the water, vinegar, and apples. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer. It needs to simmer until the apples are soft. This usually takes 20 minutes.
Use a Food Mill
Take the mixture out of the pot and put it into a food mill. Then, push the mixture through the mill and into a bowl.
Add the Rest of the Ingredients
Measure the apple pulp that comes out of the food mill to find out how much sugar you need. This recipe calls for a ½ cup of sugar for every cup of pulp. Add that and then stir it until the sugar dissolves. Then, put in the rest of the ingredients and mix it all together.
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Cook the Mixture
Finally, you’ll be ready to cook your apple butter. Put it in a wide pan and turn the burner to medium-low. Make sure you stir it regularly as it cooks so it doesn’t burn. It can also stick, so use your spoon to scrape the pot while stirring.
Keep cooking it until the mixture is smooth and thick. This generally takes one to two hours. You can tell it’s ready by placing some on a freezer-chilled plate. If it isn’t runny, you know it’s ready.
If you don’t want to stir it as often, you can cook it on low heat instead. You will still need to mix it, but you won’t have to do it constantly. It will take longer to cook, though.
Once it’s done, you can use the apple butter as a spread on toast and other items. You are sure to love the sweet, flavorful apple butter.
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