apple butter

It is that time of year...........apple butter, apple pie, apples in a bit of each mealtime. There is an excuse to put an apple into breakfast oatmeal, peanutbutter and apple butter sandwhich for lunch, cabbage and apples for supper sidedish, and of course apple pie. To make the apple butter an easier way than cooking in a copper kettle outside, try the oven method.  Peel,quarter and core a 1/2 bushel of apples. Put into a large roasting pan with 2-4 cups of apple cider. There are purist who must boil down the cider by half before adding it to the apples, I did not plan my day efficiently enough to allow for such luxury. Set the pan in a 300 degree oven till apples are soft.  This may take several hours, depending on the apple variety. Make sure you check and stir the apples periodically.

The apples can be broken up during cooking/baking with a common potato masher.

After all the apples are soft put them through a manual food mill or a strainer attachment to your mixer. Return the strained apples to the roasting pan and add 6 cups of sugar, a generous amount of cinnamon (3 tablespoons?) and cloves to taste. A cinnamon stick can be used instead. Set into the oven again at 250-300 degrees for another 2-3 hours.  It will thicken and become glossy. Make sure to stir during this time so it does not scorch or get crusty. You may use all or part white, brown, or Rapadura sugars, or honey.

When you are satisfied it is done ladle into sterilized jars, carefully clean the rims with a clean towel or paper towel and put on lids (which should be in a pan of hot but not boiling water). Put on the screw band finger tight. Set jars into a boiling water bath canner with enough water to cover jars by 2". Process 20 minutes.  Some folks say you only need 5-10 minutes.  Please consult a Ball Blue Book for proper canning info. A half bushel of apples will make approximately 14 half pints.

Leftover apples went into rustic butter crust pies.