Apple Butter Time
Well, I finally got around to making my apple butter, and my efforts were rewarded this morning with a nice piece of toast richly slathered with a thick layer of the delicacy. Here's the original recipe as written, complete with my own notes of what I did and what worked for me.
Put 3 quarts of (homemade) apple sauce in a sauce pot. Cook on low with cover off for about 24 hours. Then add:
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
Cook slowly, stirring frequently until think and mixture sheets from spoon ~ about 1 hour.
So this is what I did: I used about 7 lbs. of apples, peeled, cored, and sliced them, and put them in a pot with a bit of water. I cooked the apples until they were the consistency of applesauce ~ about a couple hours. This yielded 1.5 quarts of applesauce. So I continued to cook the applesauce until it reduced quite significantly and became darker brown in color. I found that this process only took about 6 additional hours of cooking time, not 24 ~ maybe due to the fact I was cooking a much smaller quantity? Or maybe my impatience? Not too sure. Anyways, at that point I added half the sugar and spices (since I started with only 1.5 quarts, not 3), and then let it cook for an additional 30 minutes or so. At this point, I declared it done, and poured it into a jar and stuck it in the fridge. (Didn't make enough of it to have to worry about canning it. Nevermind the fact I've never canned before and don't have a clue how to do it). I probably ended up with about 2-3 cups total.
It sure tasted good to me this morning ~ perhaps the closest I've come yet to the 'real stuff' of my memories. Still don't know if I have the right consistency, but by the time it's on the toast, it's hard to tell otherwise. And it tastes great!
Dad, as the master chef, do you have any comments you'd like to add? I know it's been a while since you've made it, but seeing as how I was 4 when our family made it, I think you'd remember quite a bit more than I do! :-)
About Me
- Kristi Walsh
- Tauranga, New Zealand
- I'm a lover of Jesus, a wife, and a mom. That's what really matters. But I also get to do lots of other fun stuff, too, like help lead a leadership training program for young adults, lead worship, and occasionally preach and teach. In my spare time, I like to cook and bake, walk up 'The Mount', or curl up on the couch with a good book. I love what I do; there's not much about my life that I'd change if I could.
Our Family
5 comments:
more questions... what consistency is applesauce?? :)
wow, that's a tricky one to answer. I'd say that you'd know you have applesauce when the apple slices you put in the pot no longer hold their own shape, and you basically have apple mush. It's slightly watery and runny, but not terribly so. You should be able to easily eat it with a spoon.
Kristi,
You're right it has been many, many years since I've made it. Two things come to mind though,as I read your post.
First, the cooking doesn't need to be all at one time. The apple sauce can be made one day and then cooking it down to butter the next. Second, the final consistency should be like a berry jam that ALMOST holds it's shape when you first put a blob on a piece of toast. It should be neither runny like honey, nor as thick as a scoop of jelly that won't move until you push it around with a knife. I agree that your cooking time was due to a smaller quantity of apples. Cooking time increases disproportionately with the quantity of apples due to increased water content that must be evaporated and more cellular matter that must be broken down with a low heat over a long time. Only about 2 cups, you've GOT to do it again! Too bad it's not apple season here on the east coast; all your talk of the project is making me itchy to go at it again. Do enjoy the "fruit" of your labor, and it's best if eaten on warm homemade bread, fresh from the oven, shared with a friend.
Love, Dad
Thanks so much for posting this! I'm going to give it a try, nothing better than warm apple butter on fresh out of the oven biscuits!!! I'll let ya know how it turns out!!
kind of like overstewed apple consistency then... sweet! :) I think I get it.
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