I posted this on here about five years ago, and it's in the archive, but
for the sake of the apple butter discussion, here it is again:
Apple butter recipe
I make about 15 quarts of apple butter once a year, can it and eat it
throughout the year. Here is my basic recipe:
About 1 1/2 bushels apples (Rome, McIntosh, or combination)
apple cider
Wash apples, cut in half, place in huge pots with enough apple cider to
cover the bottom of the pot. After the first pot is cooked, use the
liquid from the mush to cover the bottom of subsequent pots. Cook the
apples on low heat for 12-24 hours.
When cooked, allow to cool, then grind through a foley mill to remove
seeds and skins. (You can use your hands and a sieve too, but it's much
harder.) Then take the pink applesauce that you have created and place
it back in the huge pots with other ingredients as follows:
1 quart applesauce
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
punpkin pie spice to taste
(note: don't try to skip the first step by buying applesauce; it won't
work.)
Cook for 12-24 hours on low, until mixture has thickened and is a dark
brown color. WARNING: make sure the heat is not too high, or the mixture
will scortch the bottom of the pot.
When finished cooking, turn the heat on high and place about 1 cup sake
per three quarts cooked apple butter, stirring constantly for about 15
minutes. Then place in sterilized bell jars and can.
Jim Massey
Humanities, Polk Community College, Lakeland, FL
masseyj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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