Servings: 2quarts of applesauce // 3-4 cups of apple butter
Author: Kresha Faber
Ingredients
For applesauce
4lbsof apples, about 10-12 apples, quartered
1cupof water
1cinnamon stick
4tablespoonslemon juice, optional
ΒΌcupevaporated cane sugar or sucanat, optional
Add any of these additional ingredients for apple butter (optional)
10-12whole cloves
10cardamom pods
1star anise
10allspice berries
Instructions
For applesauce
Place the quartered apples into a large pot. Add the water and cinnamon, along with the lemon juice and sugar, if using.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20-60 minutes, until the apples are completely tender and cooked through. (This is a wide range because applesauce is very forgiving when it's on low heat.)
Once the apples are soft, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the apples in batches into a food mill (removing the cinnamon stick as well). This will remove all the peels and seeds and leave you with a lovely textured applesauce. This is also a great way to include kids in the kitchen - grinding a food mill is one task all of my kids have loved doing whenever I give them a chance.
If you don't have a food mill, you may also press them through a fine mesh sieve, but this will take much longer.
As a third alternative, if you have peeled and cored the apples before they were cooked, you may place them in batches in a blender and pulse to create your desired texture.
After creating the applesauce, you may adjust flavor by adding additional sugar, lemon juice, or spices, such as ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, in the freezer for up to six months, or in a deep freeze for up to a year.
For apple butter
Once the applesauce has been processed through the food mill and is smooth, rinse out the pot and return the applesauce to the pot.
Place any additional spices you wish to use in a square of cheesecloth and tie into a sachet. Add to the applesauce.
Place applesauce over low heat and cook, uncovered, until the applesauce has reduced by half, has darkened in color, and has thickened so that when it runs off a spoon it forms a ribbon on top of the apple butter in the pot, 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally through this process to keep the bottom from burning.
Taste the apple butter about halfway through cooking and remove spices (if the spices are overwhelming) and add a bit of sugar (if too tart).
If making a larger batch, account for a longer cook time.
Notes
For making applesauce, use any apple that you would put in a pie, such as Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Honey Crisp, Gravenstein, Mcintosh, or Jonagold. The best flavor will come from a blend of apples rather than just one type. The use of sugar is optional - I usually *don't* use it unless the entire batch is made with tart apples. Also, if you use organic apples, don't worry about taking the time to peel or core them - just quarter them and toss them in the pot, then run the batch through a food mill at the end.