Apple Butter

After going apple picking twice this fall, I had an abundance of apples- even after hosting an apple themed party.  So what is a girl to do with all of these apples?  Apple butter of course.

Let me preface this by saying that this shit is amazing and I love it- particularly on my morning oatmeal or vegan cinnamon raisin toast.  Whoa! Heaven for real.  BUT with that said, this is most definitely labor a love.  I thought this process would take me about 3-4 hours...try 7-8!  Thank goodness Saturday was a miserable cold day and I had no desire to go out.  Thank goodness for my beloved crock pot which worked over time to create this masterpiece which made my apartment smell like apple pie.  It's Wednesday, and my house still smells like apple pie.  Yum!

So if you have the time to do this, I totally recommend it.  I also jarred it and shared it with some friends which is always nice :)  Please if you decide to go this route, follow the jarring procedure below to make sure you do it right.  Done properly, this apple butter should last up to 3 weeks.  Jarring can be a bitch, but totally worth it.

Apple Butter
Ingredients:
3 lbs cooking apples (I used a combination of McIntosh and Granny Smith)
1 cup prunes (I added the prunes instead of sugar)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup, dark agave syrup or barley malt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt

Peel, core, and cut your apples into small pieces. Place apple slices, dates and apple cider in crockpot and set on high.  Sprinkle all your spices and mix.  Cover and let simmer for a long as time. 

After many hours (I stirred my apples about every 20 minutes) you will notice your apples slowly turn into a a smoother substance, though there will still be lots of chunks.  You will also notice that it your substance will start to get darker.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Process apple/prune mixture with your immersion blender until smooth. Pour and spread the mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake in centre of the oven for about an hour, stirring every so often, making sure to scrape down the sides. Once done (you can test for doneness by seeing if the butter is thick enough that it will stick to a plate or something upside down), ladle the butter into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, seal with lids and place in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.Jarring Method (IMPORTANT)
Ball jars specifically designed for home canning are best. Jars come in a variety of sizes from half-pint jars to half-gallon jars. Pint and quart Ball jars are the most commonly used sizes and are available in regular and wide-mouth tops. If properly used, jars may be reused indefinitely as long as they are kept in good condition.

Sanitize your jars first.  I just run them through the dishwaster.  Make sure they are complete dry before you start this process.  Also, you may want boil your lids separately (without the rings) for extra sanitation.  I do.

Fill your jars with the apple butter, making sure there are no air bubbles.  You can check this by simple looking at the outside and if you see a space in the mixture, there is an air bubble.  Use a spoon to remove.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Your pot should be large enough to cover your jars with at least 1 inch of water.  Put your filled jars in the boiling water and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 40 minutes.

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place for several hours until they are cool.  I use tongs to get them out of the water, but you can by a special jarring tool.  Be sure when you are doing this to lift them out evenly. so as not to shift your liquid to much.

Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Otherwise, your apple butter is good to go!  Feel free to give out to friends.  If you follow this method, your apple butter will stay good for 3-4 weeks.