Rich Spiced Apple Butter

We grew up eating Plum Butter, Pflaumenmus in German.  I love the rich, tart sweetness of it.  The glorious dark purple hue makes for a fabulous spread on toast or sandwiched in cookies.  

But as I grew up, here in Ontario, the world of apples became more and more identifiable.  Quintessentially North American apple desserts like pie, crisp, dumplings, cobblers, and bettys, were what the stores, tv shows, and magazines featured.  I remember learning to make apple crisp in school.  The only apple dessert I even remember my mom making for us was baked apples.  And we got so excited for them! Even though apples were not common in my mom’s repertoire, she quickly embraced them as we started bringing home suggestions (read: childlike demands!)

The Wonders of Apple Butter

Apple Butter was a new recipe for me, as it was’t something my mom was used to cooking.  And when a kid is 12, 14 years old, they think that what their parents do is old fashioned, backwards.  I wanted to try ‘new’ things.  How pathetic.  It wasn’t till years later that I came to appreciate all that my mother could and did make for us. Her style of cooking was typically European, with French dishes thrown in for good measure.  It wasn’t until a decade or so back that what I had been taking for granted my whole life, was gaining a renaissance here in North America.  Suddenly my mom’s cooking was trendy!  Who knew?

So, apple butter.  Definitely a tad more cloying than the plum butter I knew.  But it was that combination of spices, the warm cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice that made me break out in a smile.  A family friend is the first one who made it for me, when I was a teenager.  I loved it on toast, in cereal or sandwiched between two cookies.  It wasn’t till years later that I learned to appreciate serving it in a savoury way, on cheese and crackers etc.  Plus it is such an aromatic and delightful way to celebrate the best season of the year.  If you go apple picking, this recipe is a fabulous way to put some of those apples to use.

Easy, Don’t Rush It

This is truly apple sauce cooked down till it becomes a thick, rich, spicy spread.  Many methods employ a crockpot.  I don’t have one.  So I just use an enamelled dutch oven and cook on low.  It works very well.

You will peel, core and chop a variety of apples and cook them on low with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.  In no time the juices are released, and within an hour and half or so, you have glorious apple sauce. 

Give it a quick purée with an immersion blender or your stand blender, and put it back on the stove (or crock pot)  Continue cooking on low until it has thickened.  You will be cooking it mostly uncovered.  It will ‘plop’ as it cooks down. Stir it regularly to keep it from sticking or scorching on the bottom.  And beware of renegade plops- they hurt on direct contact!! A splatter guard is your friend here. 

This is the perfect butter to make my Apple Butter Custard Pie with.  And when making apple butter, the same as for apple sauce, feel free to use a combination of apples- they add layers of flavour!

Tips

In the years since I first started making this, I started combining pears with the apples.  They add another layer of flavour and sweetness.  And because of their natural sweetness, I can cut way back on the sugar.  I have even used this method to make pure pear butter.   And pear butter, if cooked down enough, makes a great pie as well, using my Custard Pie recipe above.

Here’s my one tip for this recipe.  You know you’ve cooked it down enough, if a wooden spoon stands up in the butter!  Once it cools, it will thicken even more.  I would rather have it on the thicker side.  This isn’t apple sauce.  It should be a rich, dark, smooth spread.  Now, I have made it where I didn’t purée it overly much, leaving a few bits for texture.  This is great for when you are serving it as is, as a spread on cheese or inside cookies etc.

As with so many recipes, wouldn’t it be amazing if our computers and phones had a ‘scratch and sniff’ feature!  Because this apple butter has the most fragrant, autumnal, spicy aroma.  This is why I stay in the kitchen.  And wish for a perfume that smells like this!!  Oh, and for the best homemade plum butter, you will find it here!  And for the most delightful fruit and nut loaf that will be the perfect addition to any cheese platter, check out my Spiced Fruit and Nut Loaf

Love Jen.

Print

Rich Spiced Apple Butter

A rich, thick butter that can be spread toast, with cheeses, or to make a great pie! Chose whether you will use a crockpot or cook on the stove.

Course Condiment

Cuisine North American

Keyword apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

• 10 medium apples, any combination is fine (approx 3-4 lbs), peeled, cored, chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (per liking)
• 1 tsp vanilla powder (or extract)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a crockpot. OR use a heavy bottomed pot on top of the stove.

2. Cook on low in crockpot for 10 hours, stirring if possible. On the stove top, I cook in a heavy pot with a lid on low for about 1 1/2 hours, maybe 15 or so minutes longer. This will vary with the type of apple, heat of stove etc. Cook until the mixture is thick and dark brown.

3. Remove the lid, and blend the apple mixture with an immersion blender till smooth.  Alternatively you can purée it in a blender and then return it to the pot.  You can blend till just broken down, or till velvety smooth.  It is up to you.

4. Now cook on the stove top at low for an additional 45 minutes or so, until it is very thick, pulling away from the walls of the pot. Stir regular to avoid it burning on the bottom of the pan. It should be completely spreadable, spoon standing up in it, not runny!  Be careful as it bubbles- the 'plops' can hurt if they hit you- hot!! Use a splatter guard if you have one.

5. Store in sterilized jar(s) in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze in appropriate containers

Recipe Notes

This makes 2 cups or so, depending on the apples and how reduced you like it. This is one of these recipes that will vary with the type of apple you are using. Bottom line, if using as a spread, cook down till you have achieved the consistency you like. I like mine thick. If I am using for Apple Butter Custard pie, I want it at least the consistency of pumpkin puree or a tad thicker.

Spices are to your liking. They will concentrate as they cook down. You may want to taste before you blend up. Adjust at this point.

Feel free to replace half of the apples with pears.  If using pears, reduce the sugars to 1/3 cup each.  The pears have more of a sweetness, so the additional sugar won't be needed.