Apple Butter

So what do you do with ALL the apples you've picked? Why, make apple butter, of course! It's something we always had growing up in West Virginia so a number of years ago, I decided to try my hand. It's an easy recipe, it mostly takes time and patience. Here are the steps:

First, you need to peel the apples. I peeled 15 lbs today (I tripled my recipe - it's what my pot can handle!).


Next, you combine the peeled, cored, and quartered apples with spices and apple cider.


This is what it looks like with all the spices added. Mirm - no need for a Yankee candle today! It makes the whole house smell like heaven. Or at least like fall!


Once the mixture has cooked down to the desired consistency, you pack it into canning jars. I generally use pint jars - it's a nice size for gift-giving.


Once in the jars and sealed with lids and rings, process in a water bath for at least 10 minutes, then check as the jars are removed from the water bath to make sure they've sealed (if you hear a "pop" noise and can't push the lid down, it's sealed).


Here's the final product!

Here's the recipe:

5 lbs of apples (I weigh them before peeling and coring)
2 C apple cider - boil the cider separately until it's reduced by half
4 C sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

It's fabulous, if I do say so myself!