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
Bowl or another pan to run the food mill over
Measuring cups and spoons
Prepared canning jars and lids
Clean damp cloth
Cooling rack or clean, dry towel
Ingredients 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
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.
Cook until apples are softened, stirring them often to keep them from sticking to the pan.
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.
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
- Ingredients 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
- Instructions for Homemade Apple Butter
- 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.
- Cook until apples are softened, stirring them often to keep them from sticking to the pan.
- 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.
- 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.
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