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Canning, Canning High-Acid Foods, Food Preservation, Homemade, In the Kitchen

Homemade Apple Butter

September 29, 2014

Homemade Apple Butter

Homemade Apple Butter was one of the first things I ever canned on my own. It’s super simple to make, delicious, and great to give away as gifts. 

This brings about memories of working in my aunt and uncle’s apple orchard; picking, sorting and washing apples. At the end of the day, taking a variety bag of seconds home to make many apple treats; this apple butter, pies, Homemade Apple Crisp, and Apple Walnut Bars.

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Tools you will need for making and canning Homemade Apple Butter:

Paring knife

A large sauce pan

Food mill

Bowl or another pan to run the food mill over

Measuring cups and spoons

Prepared canning jars and lids

Clean damp cloth

Jar lifter

Water-Bath Canner

Cooling rack or clean, dry towel

Apples for Making ApplesauceIngredients for Homemade Apple Butter

4 to 6 pounds apples 

*Select apples that are fresh, ripe, firm, and blemish free.  Wash, peel, and slice your apples.

1 cup water or apple cider

4 cups of pure cane sugar

1 tablespoon of Apple Pie Spice

Best Apples for Making Homemade Apple Butter

Braeburn

Cortland

Crispin (Mutsu)

McIntosh

Fuji

Golden Delicious

Rome

Lodi (available late summer)

Instructions for Homemade Apple Butter

Apples CookingPlace your washed, peeled, and sliced apples in a large sauce pan, add 1 cup of water or apple cider to start the cooking process, and heat to simmering.

Apples CookedCook until apples are softened, stirring them often to keep them from sticking to the pan.

Apples in sieveRun cooked apples through a food mill or sieve.  Measure 4 cups of apple pulp and return to your sauce pan, bring to a simmer. For every 4 cups of apple pulp, add 4 cups of sugar and 1 tablespoon of apple pie spice.

Apple Butter Slowly, simmer the apple pulp until it is your desired thickness, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Fruit butters usually have a thick, creamy spreadable consistency. It will look a little shiny and cling to your spoon. If your butter becomes too thick, add a little water or apple cider.

Refrigerate and enjoy it now…or can it for later.

Canning Homemade Apple Butter

Ladle your apple butter into hot prepared jars to within ½ inch of the rim of the jar. Wipe the rim of your jar with a clean, damp cloth. Place your lids onto your jars, making sure the rubber seal meets the jar rim. Screw on the metal ring/band firmly.

Use a jar lifter to place your jars of apple butter in to a boiling water bath. Process pints or quarts for 10 minutes (time indicated for 1,000 feet above sea level).

When the time is complete turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and allow the canner to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove your jars of apple butter from the canner, place them on a cooling rack or dry kitchen towel two inches apart to cool. Some of the bands may seem loose at this point, do not re-tighten them.

After 12 hours, check to see if the jars have sealed, the center of the lid should be concaved and not able to flex. Remove the metal bands/rings; carefully try to pull the lid off with your finger tips to check the seal again. Place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible or reprocess starting over with new jars and lids.

Allow sealed jars to cool for 24 hours. Wash the jars (especially the threads) and label them with contents and date. Store your homemade apple butter in a cool, dry place away from light.

 Thank you for visiting Mama’s Homestead!

~Nelle

Homemade Apple Butter
2014-09-29 16:54:00
Homemade Apple Butter was one of the first things I ever canned on my own. It’s super simple to make, delicious, and great to give away as gifts.
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Ingredients
  1. Ingredients for Homemade Apple Butter
  2. 4 to 6 pounds apples
  3. *Select apples that are fresh, ripe, firm, and blemish free. Wash, peel, and slice your apples.
  4. 1 cup water or apple cider
  5. 4 cups of pure cane sugar
  6. 1 tablespoon of Apple Pie Spice
Instructions
  1. Instructions for Homemade Apple Butter
  2. Place your washed, peeled, and sliced apples in a large sauce pan, add 1 cup of water or apple cider to start the cooking process, and heat to simmering.
  3. Cook until apples are softened, stirring them often to keep them from sticking to the pan.
  4. Run cooked apples through a food mill or sieve. Measure 4 cups of apple pulp and return to your sauce pan, bring to a simmer. For every 4 cups of apple pulp, add 4 cups of sugar and 1 tablespoon of apple pie spice.
  5. Slowly, simmer the apple pulp until it is your desired thickness, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Fruit butters usually have a thick, creamy spreadable consistency. It will look a little shiny and cling to your spoon. If your butter becomes too thick, add a little water or apple cider.
Notes
  1. Refrigerate and enjoy it now…or can it for later.
By Nelle Weaver
Mama’s Homestead http://www.mamashomestead.com/
by Nelle 
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About Nelle

I am Nelle. I grew up in rural, small town, Ohio. When I was young, I learned a lot about homesteading from my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, 4-H, FFA, and others around me. Now, I’m all grown up, have 6 children of my own, and plan to teach them everything I know. Here on Mama’s Homestead, we talk and write about homesteading, homeschooling, and kidsteading (homesteading with kids). We teach our kids about survival, self-sufficiency, gardening (vegetable, herb, flower), orchard, beekeeping, home keeping, soap making, harvesting, cooking, food preservation, livestock, nature, crafts, homesteading tools and wares, and more… Welcome to my homestead…come and learn with us!

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Welcome to my homestead!

Hello, I'm Nelle Weaver!
I grew up on a small farm in Ohio and experienced various aspects of homesteading. I learned many skills from my grandparents and parents and from being involved in 4-H and FFA.  
My husband and I write about our simple life here on Mama's Homestead and teach classes on our homestead in central Ohio, where we raise goats, chickens, and rabbits, have an orchard, garden, keep bees, and much more. Read More…

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