In late September we went apple picking for Honey Crisp apples. This year we picked not one, but two bushels of apples as they are our favorites. Other than eating them, maybe baking an apple tart or two, adding them in salads, and making homemade applesauce with them, I thought these would be the only ways we would be reaping the benefits of our harvest this year. However, after having dinner at The Appalalacian Restaurant in Sevierveille, Tennessee during a recent trip to Smoky Mountain National Park, I knew I had to use some of those apples to make one more thing. Apple Butter. As I was inspired by the cheesecake topped with sautéed apples and placed on a bed of homemade apple butter dessert we had ordered. Little did I know how easy it actually was to make. Subsequently, I also discovered many of my friends loved apple butter. I mean really loved homemade apple butter.
After getting home from a perfect week in the Smoky Mountains, I channeled my inner pioneer spirit and went on the hunt for apple butter recipes. With my fingers crossed this pursuit would be more successful than finding a bottle of Blanton's Bourbon in Kentucky was, I made the deep dive down the apple butter recipe rabbit hole. Although along the way I learned a few things. Like the fact that apple butter doesn't contain any dairy or butter. Rather the word butter is used to describe its' butter-like thick, soft consistency. One achieved after a very long, slow cooking of the apples to the point where the apples are caramelized resulting in a deep brown, highly concentrated version of applesauce. With its' flavor enhanced by the warming spices, apple butter is damned delicious whether spread on grilled or toasted bread (cinnamon raisin is my favorite choice), used to garnish a dessert (like cheesecake), spooned over some vanilla ice cream, stirring into oatmeal or yogurt, added to marinades, used as an ingredient in a cake or pie, or used as glaze. In other words, apple butter has quite the versatility of uses.
One of the most significant differences between applesauce and apple butter is the time it takes to make each of them. The cooking time for applesauce is generally under an hour, while apple butter's cooking time can range from eleven to twelve hours. Yes, you read that correctly and that wasn't a typo. Eleven to twelve hours of cooking time in a slow cooker. The investment of time making apple butter is one you won't regret. And don't let it sway you away from making it as it's relatively easy to make. Scouts honor.
Discovering the type of apples used to make apple butter is a slightly contentional one amongst apple butter purists had me beginning to second guess my apple choice. Little did I know there were some rather strong opinions about which apples to use. Ranging from using tart apples to sweet apples to even dried apples, the varieties of apples most often recommended for making apple butter were Fugi, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Braeburn, MacIntosh, Gravenstein, Granny Smith, and (yes) Honey Crisp. My apple choices would be Honey Crisps and Granny Smiths, but with a higher ratio of Honey Crisps. To peel or not to peel was yet another decision to make. Because peels can add both flavor and texture, my recipe would include the peels. And as expected, the peels broke down completely in the long, slow cooking process.
Many apple recipes use cinnamon as the primary spice ingredient. Some call for varying amounts of nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. This recipe used all of them with cinnamon being the star spice. Apple butter is made with both brown sugar and granulated sugar. To create an even deeper brown color and greater depth of flavor, I used equal parts of light and dark brown sugar along with the granulated sugar in making this apple butter. In addition to the apples, spices, and sugars, I used two other ingredients: maple syrup and vanilla. The maple syrup was added in at the start of the cooking process, however, the vanilla wasn't added until the apples were ready to be processed.
While most apple butters have a very smooth jam like consistency, the butter's texture is one heavily influenced by personal choice. Not as chunky as applesauce and not as smooth as jam, I processed the cooked apples to a texture somewhere in between the two.
My favorite way to eat Apple Butter is slathering it on a thick piece of grilled or toasted Cinnamon Raisin Bread. But not before spreading on some soft cream cheese or room temperature butter. Pure bliss. It is also great swirled into a bowl of hot oatmeal or some vanilla yogurt, spread on an English Muffin, used as a topping for pancakes or waffles, poured over ice cream, and paired with a cheesecake topped with sautéed apples.
As much as I am a fan of some good quality jams and preserves, no store-bought apple butter compares to or rather I should say is as good as this rich, warmly spiced, gorgeous, deeply flavorful homemade version. And nothing harnesses the flavors and spirit of fall more than homemade apple butter.
Recipe
Apple Butter
Apple Butter
Makes a little more than 3 pints
Ingredients
6 pounds of apples, cored only (5 pounds of Honey Crisp apples and 1 pound of Granny Smith apples)
1/2 cup (105g) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (105g) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the brown sugars, granulated sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, Kosher salt, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until well blended. Set aside.
2. Cut the cored, unpeeled apples into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks. Add all of the apples to the slow cooker.
3. Add in the sugar/spice mixture to the apples and stir until the apples are coated.
4. Cook the apple mixture on low for 9 hours. Keep covered, but stir the apple mixture every couple of hours.
5. Remove the lid of the slow cooker and continue cooking the apples uncovered for two more hours, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in the vanilla and let the apple mixture rest for about 10 minutes before processing in a food processor to desired consistency. Note: You will do this in batches.
7. Spoon the apple butter into half-pint or pint jars. Cover tightly with a lid. Let cook slightly before storing in the refrigerator. If kept tightly sealed and chilled it will last up to two months in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Weigh your apples before you remove the cores. (2) I used a food processor for processing the cooked apples, but you could also use an immersion blender.
Scenes from a 17th century village in Plimoth Patuxet Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts (October 2021)
