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Bill's Apple Butter

Source of Recipe

Taste of Home


Recipe Introduction

"Since retiring, I have more time to tend to our 75 apple trees and to experiment in the kitchen. I came up with this old-fashioned apple butter after some trial and error. The red-hot candies make it unique."

List of Ingredients

◦ 15 pounds early-season apples (Gala, Jonathan and/or Cortland), peeled and quartered
◦ � cup cider vinegar
◦ 5 ⅓ cups packed brown sugar
◦ 4 cups sugar
◦ 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
◦ 1 teaspoon salt
◦ 1 teaspoon cinnamon extract
◦ � teaspoon ground cloves
◦ � teaspoon ground allspice
◦ 1 cup red-hot candies
◦ 1 cup boiling water


Recipe

In a stockpot, combine apples and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Process in batches in a food processor until blended. Return all to pan.

Add brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, extract, cloves and allspice. Dissolve red-hots in boiling water; stir into apple mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 2 hours or until mixture reaches a thick, spreadable consistency. Remove from heat. Carefully ladle hot mixture into eight hot sterilized 1-pint jars, leaving � inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.

Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Makes 8 pints