| Well, as you said, this is apple season. My wife just made apple butter
for the first time last week. Here's her recipe (which was excellent!):
2 cups UNSWEETENED applesauce (see below)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on tartness of apples
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
Combine in a 1-1/2 qt saucepan; bring to a boil, then cook,
stirring often, for 1/2 hour.
Produces 1-1/4 cups.
The unsweetened applesauce can be replaced with store-bought
applesauce, OR here's how to do it yourself:
Use a 6- or 8-quart heavy saucepan (we use a pressure cooker
without the cover). Quarter whole apples - don't peel - (you can
eliminate the cores here, we do) and keep adding to the sauce pan
until it is heaping over the top. I don't know how many apples
that takes, I just keep carrying them in from the porch until she
says "stop". Add about 1/4 cup water (right, just a quarter
cup), cook the apples, using moderate heat, stirring awkwardly
but often. It will all cook down to maybe 3 or 4 cups of
unsweetened but delicious ALMOST-applesauce. This is then put
through an apple sieve; the peel, seeds, etc will be left behind,
and the consistency will be "apple-saucy". If you don't have an
apple sieve, you can use a baby food press (looks like a big
pepper mill?).
Art
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| Here's a recipe I just found on the back of a calender..I've not
tried it but sounds delicious
2 quarts sweet apple cider
3 quarts peeled and quartered cooking apples
(about 4 pounds)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Bring cider to a boil in a large saucepan. Add apples. Bring to
a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring often until apples
are soft. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered, stiring
often, until very little liquid separates from pulp, about 2 hours.
Makes about 2 pints apple butter.
Enjoy!
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| Core and quarter apples - leaving the skin on helps the color.
Put in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker (no lid) and use apple juice
or cider for the liquid. I don't add any sugar or spices at this
point - not till I see what the apples taste like after being cooked.
Well, ok, maybe a pinch, just so the house will smell good!
When the apples have cooked down and are good and mushy, remove
the peels and run the mash through a blender to smooth it out.
Return to pan, add spices and continue to cook until thick and dark.
Stir occasionally to make sure it's not sticking, especially if
you have added sugar. Depending on the variety of apples you have,
you may not want any sugar at all.
This is a Saturday project, but it is also a perfect time to make
bread or muffins to put it on!
Terry
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| This recipe was taken from the book "Gifts of Food" by Susan Costner
"Windfall Apple Butter"
YIELD: about 6 cups
6 pounds Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced
2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
Grated rind of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup Calvados (apple brandy)
In a large nonaluminum saucepan cook the apples with the apple cider,
covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes,
until very tender. Puree the mixtue in a food mill fitted with
a medium disc set over a large nonaluminum saucepan. Add the brown
sugar, orange rind, salt, and spices and cook over very low heat,
uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until very
thick. The last half of cooking is the most crucial, so stir the
apple butter frequently to prevent burning. Add the calvados and
stir.
Spoon the apple butter into sterized jars to within 1/4 inch of
the rims. Wipe the rims clean and seal the jars with the lids.
Let the apple butter stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 week
to allow the flavors to mellow.
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