How to Make Homemade Apple Butter

Yum. I love apple butter.

I had never thought of making my own apple butter at home though, until last week.

Broadway is in fifth grade and the tradition at our school is to have a colonial feast while all dressed up in colonial garb. There are a series of events throughout a two week period focused on learning about the activities and lifestyle of the early colonists.

I volunteered for the “mending the sails” day where the students had to mend their wind torn sails as the colonists had to do when the storms were too much for their handmade sails at sea.

For the colonial feast, I volunteered to make apple butter. I wondered what I was getting myself into, but its actually pretty darn easy.

And, by the way, its delicious. The taste is so much fresher and crisp. Really, really good.

Pureed apples mixed with apple cider. Spices are stirred in after you pour apple mixture in pan….

We used the following spices. We did not have apple pie spice in the cupboard, but these worked just fine…..

Here’s the apple butter after cooking for 3 hours at 300 degrees…

My completed apple butter in a jar…..

The suggestion is to refrigerate the butter for about two days, allowing the ingredients to settle together nicely. Check out my festive fridge. 🙂

Here’s the steps to making your very own apple butter at home…..

How to Make Homemade Apple Butter

Author: Mom on the Make

Ingredients

10 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch chunks (I used granny smith apples, but you can use red delicious as well)
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons apple pie spice (I used ½t nutmeg, 1t cinnamon and ¼t cardamom, ¼t ginger). You can play around with the spices to your preferred taste.

Instructions

Place the apples in a large saucepan with the cider.
Cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes over low heat, or until the apples are soft.
Cool, divide into two batches, and puree each in the bowl of a food processor or blender. (I used my Vitamix)
Pour all of the pureed fruit into a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking dish, sprinkle with the apple pie spice, and stir well.
Stirring every 20 minutes, bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours, or until your apple butter is deep brown and thick.
Cool and then scoop it into a clean jar with a sealable lid.
Store in fridge for 2 days before using for best taste.
It will keep for up to 2 months in your refrigerator.
Makes 1½ cups.