Apple Butter is not butter in the dairy sense of the word but is a fruit butter which is more like a very rich fruit puree and is wonderful on scones, pancakes and toast. You can also serve it with a cheese board to add a bit of sweetness and spice.
This apple butter is easy to make and packed with flavour. It is made using both bitter cooking apples and the sweeter eating apples (use your favourites) as well as dry cider, so you are really packing in a whole lot of appleiness (new word). The addition of cinnamon and mixed spice gives it a nice kick.
This is almost like making a jelly as you are going to cook down the apples and then whizz in a food processor and then press through a sieve to get a really smooth puree. The similarity to jelly making is that you are going to weigh this puree as you would the juice dripped through a jelly bag and add 275g (10 oz) sugar for every 600ml (1 pint) of puree. Then add your spices and reheat and boil for about 20 minutes stirring all the time.
You want apple butter to be a thick mixture that will hold it’s shape when you spoon it on to a cold plate.
Spoon the apple butter into sterilised jars and pop on the lids. Leave it for a week to let the flavours really develop before using. This recipe will make about 8 small jars of apple butter.
This will keep for 6 months, store in the fridge once opened.
Recipe taken from my book Simply Scottish Cakes & Bakes.
Karon x
- 475ml/16 floz dry cider
- 450g/1 lb cooking apples
- 450g/1 lb eating apples
- 1 lemon
- 675g/1½ lb granulated sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- Wash apples, peel, core and slice
- Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice over the apples and set aside
- Pour cider into a pan and boil till it has reduced to about half
- Add fruit to the cider, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes
- Remove lid and cook for further 20 mins till apples are squishy and tender
- Remove from heat and cool slightly before whizzing in a food processor and then pressing through a sieve
- Measure the amount of puree and add 275g/10 oz sugar for every 600ml/1 pint of puree
- Add cinnamon and mixed spice and stir well
- Gently heat till sugar has dissolved then boil and stir till mixture is thick and holds its shape when a little dropped on to a cold plate
- Spoon into sterilied jars and set aside for 1 week to mature
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