Chef John's Apple Butter
Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Canning and Preserving Fruit Butters
Move over, apple sauce. Apple butter is basically a spreadable apple pie filling, only better. Though cooking time is long, it's super easy and pretty hands-free. Pair it with some sharp Cheddar on a cheese plate, or slather it onto cheesy biscuits (see footnote). Other approved uses include spreading between the layers of a spice cake, filling seasonably appropriate thumbprint cookies, or even as a condiment for pork chops.
Servings per recipe: 32
Calories per serving: 82
Preparation time: 15m
Total cooking time: 10h 15m
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 splash water
Directions:
- 1 Place apple pieces into a large slow cooker. Add white sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vinegar. Add a splash of water and mix well.
- 2 Cover and cook on High until apples are starting to soften and release liquid, 1 to 2 hours. Reduce heat to Low and cook, uncovered, until all the apple flesh is dissolved, 5 to 6 hours. Stir occasionally.
- 3 Puree using an immersion blender until smooth. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until darkened and thick, about 4 hours more. Pass apple butter through a strainer if desired. Seal in a glass container and refrigerate until cool.
Nutrion facts:
| Total Fat | 0g | |
| Saturated Fat | 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | |
| Sodium | 75mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 86mg | 2% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 21.8g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.5g | 6% |
| Protein | 0.2g | |
| Sugars | 20g | |
| Vitamin A | 8IU | |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | |
| Calcium | 9mg | |
| Iron | 0mg | |
| Thiamin | 0mg | |
| Niacin | 0mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0mg | |
| Magnesium | 3mg | |
| Folate | 0mcg |
