This recipe will make (8) 1/2 pint jars of apple butter. GREAT to give as a small gifts or place in gift baskets.Homemade Apple Butter
- 5 lbs. apples-peeled, cored and diced
- 1 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of apple juice
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of allspice
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon of cloves
Place all of the ingredients into a large crock pot, cover and cook on high for about 4 hours. Use a potato masher and mash the apples in the crock pot-do not worry if they all do not mash that is not important at this moment.
Cook the mashed apples for another 2 to 3 hours making sure the apples are completely tender. Use a hand blender and puree the apples until they are smooth and creamy. You want the apples to be thick, but not clumpy-remember the apple butter will thicken as it cools. If by chance it is too thick, you can thin it by adding a little more apple juice and mixing it very good.
For this recipe, I used 8-1/2 pint canning jars. Make sure your jars are washed good, and you have new seals. I have spoken to others who reuse their canning seals but I personally do not do that. Place the jars, the lids and the seals into a pot and heat them up. Fill with the jars one at a time with the apple butter, place the seal on the jar and lightly place on the lid. Be extra careful and make sure there is no apple butter on the rim of the jar, this can cause bacteria. Place the filled jars back into your canning pot, cover the pot and water bathe for 25 minutes. I put enough water in the pot to cover the jars half way.
Set a towel on your counter, and place the jars on it once the 25 minutes is up. The best sound is hearing the jars "Ping" one by one. Afterward, tighten the lids and allow setting there until they are completely cooled.
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