How to Make Apple Butter

Guide Note Apple butter is a great heart-healthy alternative to use in baking and makes a delicious spread all on its own. The best part is that it's incredibly easy to make.

Table of Contents

Apple Butter Tips

  1. Choose fresh, local apples for the best tasting apple butter.
  2. Boil apples in cider to impart flavor.
  3. For a chunky apple butter, don't use a food mill or strainer when apples are done boiling.
  4. Try using a hand mixer to puree apple butter for a smoother texture.
  5. Make apple butter in your slow cooker to make the process even easier.
  6. Boil jars in a canner to rid apple butter of contaminants.

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Introduction

  • Apple butter has a long tradition as a sweet spread on toast or as part of a dessert recipe. Though it actually doesn't include any actual butter, the spread you'll learn to make resembles butter's texture. You can experiment with different types of apples and spices to make an apple butter that is distinctly your own. Keep reading to learn the basics as well as a few variations.

What You Will Need

(Creative Commons photo by Jonathan Brodsky)
(Creative Commons photo by Jonathan Brodsky)
  • Depending on how fancy you want your apple butter to be, you'll need either just a few ingredients or a number of additional spices.

Ingredients Needed

Equipment Needed

  • Large saucepan
  • Sterilized jars, either half-pints or pints—quarts if you're making a large batch
  • Canner or very large pot to boil jars after filling

Step 1: Prepare and Boil Apples

(Creative Commons photo by Clav)
(Creative Commons photo by Clav)
  • Once you've chopped up all the apples, you'll boil them in cider.
  1. Wash, de-stem and core your apples.
  2. Dice apples into 1 inch pieces, or smaller. You can keep these chunks of apple in your butter to create a thicker mixture.1
  3. Alternatively, you can simply slice up the apples before boiling and puree them later, for a smoother butter.
  4. Boil the apples in cider. After reaching a boil, boil gently for another 20 minutes, until apples are tender and mixture is reduced by about half.1
  5. If you're going to puree your apple butter, put your mixture through a food mill or blender and pour into another large saucepan.4

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Step 2: Add Sugar and Spices

(Creative Commons photo by Southern Foodways Alliance)
(Creative Commons photo by Southern Foodways Alliance)
  • Now it's time to add sugar and whatever spices you choose to flavor your apple butter.
  1. For a simple apple butter, simply stir in sugar and lemon juice or zest and keep at a medium boil for about 25-30 minutes. Depending on the amount of apples you've chosen to use and how sweet you want your butter to be, you'll need between 2-4 cups of sugar.1
  2. You may also wish to add a half-teaspoon of cloves, a tablespoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of allspice and a pinch of salt, again depending on how many apples you have.4
  3. To tell that your butter is done, try spooning a little bit onto a clean plate. If liquid doesn't separate from the outer edge of the butter, it's ready to go.3
  4. If you want very smooth apple butter, try using a hand blender to create a smooth, butter-like texture.5

If Your Apple Butter is Thicker or Thinner Than Desired

  1. If your apple butter seems too thick, simply add some apple juice to thin it out.5
  2. If it appears too thin and runny, cook it longer. You may reduce the overall amount, but it will thicken.5

Step 3: Put into Jars

(Creative Commons photo by How can I recycle this)
(Creative Commons photo by How can I recycle this)
  • The best part of making your own apple butter is having enough to put away in jars for the winter.
  1. Fill jars while apple butter is still warm.3
  2. Use sterile half-pint or pint jars and leave about a quarter of an inch of space between the top of the jar and the level of apple butter.3
  3. The sugar in your recipe will preserve your apple butter, so you don't need to be as careful as you might with other types of canning.1
  4. You'll still need to use some kind of boiling-water canner, however.3
  5. For specific directions on how to sterilize jars in boiling water after filling them, see Epicurious's directions, as excerpted from The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving.6
  6. Once you've boiled the jars to rid them of any contaminants that may have snuck in while you were filling them, let them cool for 24 hours upside-down on a surface lined with paper towels, newspaper or dishcloths.6

Conclusion

  • Making your own apple butter is a great family activity in the fall. The fragrant scent of apples, cloves and spices will certainly have you feeling like it's autumn. When you open a jar a few months later, the taste and smell will transport you back to that fun afternoon of making apple butter.

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References for How To Make Apple Butter

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Epicurious: Sweet and Chunky Apple Butter
  2. ↑ National Center for Home Food Preservation: Sterilization of Empty Jars
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 National Center for Home Food Preservation: Apple Butter
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Food Network: Apple Butter
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 PickYourOwn.org: How to Make Apple Butter
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Epicurious: Procedure for Shorter Time Processing


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