Apple Butter
This heavenly sweet/tart apple butter cooks up in about an hour.
Servings 1 generous pint
Ingredients
- 6 apples, about 3 pounds, peeled and cut into chunks (see Kitchen Notes for varieties)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 slightly rounded teaspoons Diamond kosher salt (or 1 rounded teaspoon Morton)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until juices release and come to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples break down and become thick and dark, about 1 hour. There will still be some apple chunks, and that's okay.
- Puree in a blender until completely smooth, then cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze unused portions, or even better, use some of it to make this Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie.
Kitchen Notes
Pick your apples. Scott’s recipe calls for all “green apples”—Granny Smiths. We used a mix of Granny Smiths, Fuji and McIntosh. Use the apples you prefer. (Only please don’t use Red Delicious—they are bred to ship well and look pretty, but are otherwise dreadful.)