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Bill's Apple Butter Recipe

Since retiring, I have more time to tend to our 75 apple trees and to experiment in the kitchen. I came up with this old-fashioned apple butter after some trial and error. The red-hot candies make it unique.—Bill Elliott, Urbana, Missouri

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Bill's Apple Butter Recipe

Prep: 3-1/2 hours Process: 5 min.

Yield: 128 Servings

210 5 215

Ingredients

15 pounds early-season apples (Gala, Jonathan and/or Cortland), peeled and quartered
3/4 cup cider vinegar
5-1/3 cups packed brown sugar
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup red-hot candies
1 cup boiling water

Directions

Place apples and vinegar in a stockpot; cover and cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. In a food processor, process mixture in batches until blended. Return all to the pan.
Add the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, extract, cloves and allspice. Dissolve red-hots in boiling water; stir into apple mixture.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours or until mixture reaches a thick, spreadable consistency. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized 1-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: 8 pints.

Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

Nutritional Facts 2 tablespoons equals 92 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 22 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, trace protein.

Originally published as Bill's Apple Butter in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2010, p214