Apple Butter

Choose apples for cooking such as Beacon, Cortland, Jonathan, McIntosh, Rhode Island Greening, Rome Beauty and York Imperial to make apple butter.

Recipe Ingredients:

4 quarts apple cider
3 quarts pared and quartered cooking apples (about 4 pounds)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Cooking Directions:

1. Heat cider to boiling in a 5-quart Dutch oven. Boil, uncovered, until cider reduces to measure 2-quarts, about 1 1/4 hours.
2. Add apples and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until apples are soft and can be broken apart with spoon, about 1 hour. (Apples can be pressed through sieve or food mill at this point for smooth apple butter.)
3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer,uncovered, stirring frequently, until no liquid separates from pulp, about 2 hours.
4. Heat to boiling. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims of jars. Seal and process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Makes about 3 1/2 pints apple butter.