Apple Butter

A friend gave me apples from an orchard, and I decided to make apple butter. The house smells like fall and tastes even better. Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook of Prizewinning Recipes. Serving size is estimated.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 8 half-pints

Ingredients

• 4 1⁄2 lbs cooking apples (cored, and quartered about 14 medium tart apples)
• 3  cups apple cider or 3  cups  apple juice
• 2  cups sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

1. In an 8- to 10-quart heavy kettle combine apples and cider.
2. Bring to boiling and reduce heat.
3. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Press through a food mill or sieve until you have 8 1/2 cups.
5. Return pulp to kettle.
6. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
7. Bring to boiling and reduce heat.
8. Cook, uncovered, over low heat 1 1/2 hours or until thick and mixture mounds on a spoon, stirring often.
9. Boiling-Water Canning: Ladle hot apple butter into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars heaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jam jars and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boil). Remove jars and cool on rack.
10. Freezing: Place the kettle of apple butter in a sink filled with ice water. Stir mixture to cool. Ladle into half-pint wide-top freezer containers, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Seal and label and freeze up to 10 months. Apple butter may darken slightly on freezing.