
I have a new favorite topping for my Cream of Wheat - homemade apple butter.
Mom and I got together last week and made a batch using her favorite recipe. Man, is it good. I'd love to make beautiful labels for the jars, but I don't think it's going to be around for very long.
Growing up, everyone liked the apple butter better than the jelly. Part of it was a texture thing but part of it was the spices. See, award-winning jelly is crystal clear, like a good consume. Once you add spices to the mix, it gets a little murky. Since I don't plan to enter it in any competitions, I say forget crystal clear! Go for taste.
You can't make apple butter without making jelly. Well, you could, but it would be terribly wasteful. I am not an expert canner by any means, but this is pretty easy to do and with all the sugar involved, it is one of the safer canning projects for the newbie. I recommend doing this project with a partner because it's much more fun to can when there are two and the yield from this recipe is so big that there is plenty to share.
Apple Jelly & ButterYields about 8 cups of jelly and 9.5 cups of butter- 4 lbs fully ripe apples (I think the good old Macintosh is still the best choice for this)
- 6 1/2 lbs sugar
- 1 bottle fruit pectin (we use Certo which comes in foil bpouches these days. Use one pouch.)
- cinnamon
- allspice
Start by cleaning & sterilizing your canning jars. From the Ball website:
"There are specific instructions for selecting, cleaning, and preheating jars, lids and bands prior to use. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. If they are not available, this general information will help. Select home canning jars that have no visible scratches, nicks, chips, or uneven rims. Examine lids to assure they are not scratched, have even and complete compound, and have not been used. Bands should be easy to slide on the jar, without any signs of warping or corrosion.
Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse well. Dry bands; set aside. Jars and lids must be preheated and kept hot until they are used. To preheat jars and lids, completely submerge them in water that has been brought to a simmer (about 180°F). They should remain at this temperature until they are used, removing one at a time as needed. DO NOT boil lids. If jars are used for any recipe that is processed less than 10 minutes, the jar must be sterilized. To sterilize jars, submerge jars in water and boil 10 minutes. (For altitudes higher than 1,000 feet above seal level, refer to Canning Basics.) Allow sterilized jars to remain at a simmering temperature until they are used."
Remove the blossom and stem ends from the apples. Cut into quarters. Do not peal or seed. If your apples are soft and very sweet, add 2 tbs lemon juice. Add 6-1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Mash the apples (a potato masher works fine) and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
Place pulp and liquid in a large sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth (Mom actually uses a China cap with a muslin liner). Drain into a clean bowl and use 5 cups of juice to make the jelly. Use the remaining apple pulp and juice to make apple butter.
To Make Jelly: Combine 5 cups juice, 7-1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1 tsp cinnamon in a very large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in a pouch of Certo (or your fruit pectin of choice). Bring to a full rolling boil and let boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam with a metal spoon and pour into prepared jars. Cover with 1/8 inch of melted canning paraffin.
To Make Butter: Put fruit pulp through a fine mesh sieve or a food mill to remove skin and seeds. If you had juice remaining from making the jelly, add it to the strained pulp. Combine 5 cups of pulp, 7 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1 tsp cinnamon into a large saucepan. Stir well to combine. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 1 pouch of Certo. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Stir and skim for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Ladle into prepared jars. Immediately cover with 1/8 inch melted canning paraffin.
A few notesThis recipe is a couple decades old at least and there have been updates and changes to the world of canning in that time. This jelly and butter hasn't killed any of us yet, but you may want to consider the following note on a
current recipe for jam:
"Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)"
I am still a n00b canner, so if using paraffin instead of the boiling water method makes you nervous, you could give your local Extension Office a call and see if they can put you in touch with someone in the know. If I understand correctly, as long as the wax is at least 1/8" thick and it touches all sides of the glass, your jelly should be fine.
I'd love to give this recipe a try with fresh Bosc or Comice pears. Their flavor is so sweet and the flesh is buttery smooth, I bet it would be quite tasty.
Finally,
Ball (one of the big canning jar manufacturers) has a line of jars called
Collection Elite Jars which have a wider mouth and a lower profile than the traditional jars. I really like the styling and I think I'll switch over next year.