Easy Apple Butter Recipe: A Homemade Treat For Fall
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Welcome autumn with this homemade easy apple butter recipe made on a stovetop. Your home will smell amazing when you cook this delicious fall treat.
Fall is here and that means apples are available in abundance at your local market. Or perhaps one of your family traditions is to go apple picking at your favorite orchard? Either way, today we’re going to show you a super simple and delicious way to use all those apples with this easy apple butter recipe.
Hey there, Idea Insiders! Have you ever made your own homemade applesauce or apple butter? If so, you know that the smell of apples cooking with cinnamon on your stovetop for hours is absolutely incredible. Next to pumpkin spice, this is the quintessential smell of fall. If autumn had a taste, it seriously would be apple butter.
Today Meaghan from Cook. Craft. Love. is back and this time she’s brought her easy apple butter recipe to share with us. In addition to this simple recipe, you’ll learn the difference between applesauce and apple butter as well as the best ways to store apple butter.
We’ll also take a look at the time-saving tools and supplies you need to make this task as easy as possible. Then you can just cozy up on the couch in your favorite fall flannel to binge-watch Netflix or enjoy your latest book while that amazing aroma fills your home.
easy fall treats for apple season
When Meaghan sent me this apple butter recipe, she said: “This is one of my favorite fall foods and SO stupid easy to make.” Easy recipes are my favorite too. Thankfully, Meaghan has so many awesome and easy apple recipes on her own blog too. If you like this apple butter recipe, you’ll love her recipes for Crock-Pot Apple Pie Filling, Easy Apple Pie Bites, and Healthy Cinnamon Apple Chips, just to name a few.
How to Make easy apple butter
This easy apple butter recipe is going to be one of your family’s new fall favorites. I just know it!
What you need:
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You’ll find a recipe card at the end of this post with the specific quantities for each ingredient and the instructions to make the apple butter. First, though let’s cover the basics of what you need as well as some tips and tricks for making homemade apple butter.
Kitchen Tools Needed:
- Apple peeler and corer
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 6 qt Dutch oven or large soup pot
- Small mixing bowl
- Immersion blender or blender
- Mixing spoon
- Pint jar with lid or airtight storage container
Ingredients Needed:
- Apples
- Lemon juice
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
Tips for making and storing apple butter
As you prepare this easy apple butter recipe, you may have a few questions. If you have more questions than these, leave them in the comments.
what’s the difference between apple butter and apple sauce
Both applesauce and apple butter are made by cooking apples over low heat. Usually, the apples in both recipes are mixed with sugar, cinnamon, and other spices. The difference is that apple butter is cooked for longer than applesauce so it starts to caramelize and becomes a thick puree.
Applesauce is more watery and served in a bowl with a spoon. Apple butter is thicker and can be spread on biscuits or toast like a jam or jelly. You can think of apple butter as being a more concentrated form of applesauce. Apple butter also typically has a longer shelf life than applesauce because of the higher concentration of sugar in apple butter.
why is apple butter called butter?
Apple butter has the word “butter” in the name because it has a thick, spreadable and smooth texture that’s similar to butter and often served on toast like butter. There are no actual dairy products or butter of any kind in apple butter. Other products with butter in the name like this include peanut butter or body butter lotion.
what is the best way to serve apple butter?
This homemade apple butter is pretty simple and can be served in numerous ways. Here are a few ideas you might like to try:
- Spread it on warm biscuits right out of the oven.
- Try it with homemade scones. Here are two great recipes: Classic British Scones and Food Processor Buttermilk Scones.
- Use it as a dip with sliced apples, pretzel twists or bagel chips.
- Make it into a sandwich on its own or with peanut butter.
- Put it into small jars to use as fall party favors or to give as gifts to friends. It would be fun to pair it with this All-Natural Homemade Stovetop Air Freshener for Fall.
How long does homemade apple butter last?
If canned properly in a sterile jar, homemade apple butter can be stored in a cool, pantry for up to two years. It can also be frozen in small containers for up to one year.
Once opened, apple butter can last for several weeks in your refrigerator if it’s stored in a well-sealed container. You’ll know it’s gone bad and should be thrown away if it develops an odor, an odd taste or if mold is growing on it.
How do you Store apple butter?
Apple butter can be enjoyed immediately. For short-term use, apple butter can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for several weeks. However, if you want to store it longer, you have two options:
- Apple Butter in the Freezer – Use small freezer-safe plastic containers to store your apple butter in a freezer or deep freezer.
- Canned Apple Butter – Can the apple butter in sterile jars while the apple butter is still hot. Here are some instructions for canning applesauce that will be helpful to you if you’ve never canned apples before.
does apple butter need to be Refrigerated?
Yes, once it’s opened apple butter should be kept in your refrigerator.
Easy Apple Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2-3 pounds apples
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 3/4 Tbs of ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 salt
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop apples into 1″ pieces and add to a 6 qt Dutch oven or large soup pot and toss with lemon juice and vanilla.
- In a small bowl mix sugars, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and nutmeg and then sprinkle over apples and mix to coat.
- Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until apples are tender.
- Blend apples with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Reduce heat to low and continue cooking the apple puree on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The apple butter is ready when you can draw a spoon through the middle and it doesn’t come back together.
Notes
Nutrition
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What’s Next?
While you’re here, you may also enjoy these delicious fruit recipes on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –
- New England Apple Cider Donut Bread Recipe
- Caramel Apple Pudding Cups: A Sweet Treat for Fall
- Baked Apple Pie Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
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