APPLE BUTTER

Apple Butter is an finger licking delicious spread that is prepared by slow cooking apples on low heat for a long period of time. In addition to be used as a spread for bread, apple butter can also be used as a key ingredient in many dessert recipes, as a dip with fruit platters, as a glaze while barbecuing meats, to prepare mean salad dressings and many more. As apples are in season, make sure to prepare a batch of apple butter and surprise your family with this delicious Fall treat.

As a kid I loved jams and jellies. I generally used to have it as a spread for bread. However, occasionally I used to sneak into the kitchen and grab a spoonful of jam to satisfy my sweet tooth. The jam flavors that were most commonly available then include mixed-fruit, followed by pineapple, mango, and occasionally orange marmalade. After coming to the US, I was so excited to be introduced to many other flavors of jams and jellies. Over the course of past few years I have started preparing homemade jams using seasonal fruits for several reasons. I love the entire process of making jams, mainly watching the breakdown of fruit sugars over time into a perfectly caramelized delicacy. I find this very therapeutic. It also gives me complete control over the ingredients that go into the recipe, I try to use the best quality ingredients possible and use minimum amount of natural sweeteners or sugar possible. The caramelized sugar acts as a natural preservative, thereby avoiding the need to use any chemical products for increasing their shelf life. When canned properly, these jams remain fresh for several years.

There are several ways to cook jams. They can be easily prepared in a slow cookers, and they come out perfect every single time however it takes anywhere between 8 to 12 hours to completely caramelize the fruit sugars. The stove-top method that I have used in this recipe requires cooking the fruit on medium flame for around 2 hours. Some people make use of microwave to make jams, and I have heard it cuts the cooking time even further. However, I have never tried this approach, so I cannot give any advice on this. Yes, I agree that home-made jams do take time to prepare - but I am sure you wont regret it when you taste the final product.

I usually make a big batch of jam using seasonal fruits, and they are canned and labeled. I only keep couple of cans for personal use, and distribute the rest to my friends. When I visit my friends who have kids, I generally take couple of jam bottles along and their kids go bananas for trying it, and this makes me very happy. I am actually surprised that I have not shared my jam recipes yet on the blog. So I decided to change this. As Fall season is around the corner, our local produce market is overflowing with fresh apples. So I decided to make a small batch of apple butter (approximately 2 jars/cans) and present the recipe here. This jam is super simple to make, requires only few ingredients, and can be prepared in about two hours using the stove top method. When carefully canned they remain fresh for several years.

During the course of the Fall season I will be using apple butter as an ingredient in few of my recipes. So stay tuned for it! Do try this apple butter recipe and let me know how you liked it. Also check out vegan apple dates bread.

Steps to prepare Apple Butter

• Cut the apples into quarters. Remove only the seeds and stem and not the core as it contains high amount of pectin that gives apple butter its characteristics texture.
• Put it in boiling water and boil for 15 minutes and then drain.
• Transfer the cooked apples to a blender and blend it to smooth puree in batches.
• Transfer apple puree to a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add powdered clove and cardamom seeds (use mortar and pestle), brown sugar, and cinnamon powder and cook for about 2 hours stirring occasionally.
• When the apple butter turns dark golden brown switch off the flame and allow it to cool completely.
• Store it in sterilized glass jars using canning method for long term use. If you plan to use apple butter right away (within couple of weeks) you can skip the canning process, simply transfer the butter to well sterilized jars and store it in your refrigerator.

Tip:

• You can use any variety or mixed variety of apples. I have used Granny Smith apples for this recipe.
• The amount of sugar required varies depending on the desired sweetness of the final product as well as the natural sweetness of the apples.

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