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Apple Butter

Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 5 lb apples, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice, to finish

Directions

  1. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, combine the apples, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and clove and cook over low heat until the apples are very soft, about 45 minutes. Note: The pot size does matter here. If the pot is too large, your apples may cook down too quickly.
  2. Remove the apple mixture from the heat. Using a standing blender or an immersion blender, purée the apple mixture until it’s smooth.
  3. Cook the puréed mixture in the same pot over medium-low heat until it turns a dark amber color and the texture is smooth, about 1 hour.
  4. Season the apple butter with salt, stir in the lemon juice, and remove it from the heat.
  5. Allow the apple butter to cool, and then transfer it to the jar. Apple butter will keep for up to 6 weeks refrigerated.

Pairings

You can fold apple butter into your salted caramel ice cream, spread it on a pork chop, swirl it through sweet potatoes — or, best of all, shake it up with bourbon for a dandy Old Fashioned. And, of course, it’s positively glorious spread on toast.