Apple Butter
Use Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman, Golden Delicious, MacIntosh, or other tasty apple varieties for good results.
8 lbs apples
2 cups cider
2 cups vinegar
2-1/4 cups white sugar
2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground cloves
Yield: About 8 to 9 pints
Procedure: Wash, remove stems, quarter, and core fruit. Cook slowly in cider and vinegar until soft. Press fruit through a colander, food mill, or strainer. Cook fruit pulp with sugar and spices, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning. Fill hot into sterile half-pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Quart jars need not be presterilized but should be clean and kept hot until filling. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process.
| Recommend Process Time for Apple Butter in a boiling-water canner | |||||
| Process Time at Altitudes of | |||||
| Style of Pack | Jar Size | 0-1,000 ft | 1,001 -6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft | |
| Hot | Half-Pints or Pints | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min | |
| Quarts | 10 min | 15 min | 20 min | ||
(adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, 2006 revision)