My friend Rochelle got married almost a year ago.
Instead of doing the typical guest gift, she and her husband Josh opted for something a little more personal—a jar of homemade apple butter made by Rochelle’s mother, Cindy. It was easily the best thing I’ve taken home from a wedding.
That apple butter lasted about 5 minutes in our house. We smeared it on scones, put it on croissants, dolloped it in oatmeal, and, when no one was looking, ate it by the spoonful. Getting Cindy to share this recipe with me has been on my list for a year.
Last week, I came across a crate of Gala apples, freshly picked from an orchard by a friend-of-a-friend who had maybe been a little overzealous. She donated a bunch of the apples to my friend Anne. Anne was generous enough to give them to me.
And so, I finally asked Cindy for her recipe.
Sunday began with washing, coring, and chopping a lot of apples. Jason and I tag-teamed this, making a little assembly line in the kitchen. We then mixed in the cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar required before diving the apples between a slow cooker and my favorite red Le Creuset. The house smelled amazing. It still does, four days later.
Apple butter is slow-cooked over low heat, whether in a Crockpot or on the stove, until the apples completely break down and it turns deep brown and develops a rich, buttery flavor. It’s then pureed to make it smooth before getting canned.
I made enough for about twelve 12-ounce jars (double the recipe I give below), so I’m happy to share with friends and family (please make requests!). Although in all honestly, I bet we could eat 12 jars ourselves. But I’m feeling generous.
Big thank you to Cindy for sharing her recipe!
- About 15 Gala apples, resulting in 3¼ lb when washed, cored, and, roughly chopped
- 2½ tablespoons cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- juice from 1 lemon
- Place apples into a large dutch oven or a slow cooker. Add cinnamon, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and water. Gently stir.
- If making on stove: close with lid and cook over low heat for ~3 hours, checking regularly and stirring as needed. If making in slow cooker: close with lid and cook on low heat for ~6 hours, checking every hour or so and stirring as needed. Apples should break down and turn a dark, rich brown color.
- Once it has reached this state, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add lemon juice, then puree using an immersion blender or a food processor. If apple butter doesn't seem thick enough (it should easily coat the back of a spoon), return to stovetop/slow cooker and continue to cook down, checking frequently, until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer the apple butter to jars and store in fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Yes, please. :-)
writes Beth RomanI’ll see you this Sunday, Beth!
writes Vicky3cornish
writes 3enrolled