A couple of weeks ago Ross and I went apple picking. Since then, I have been looking at the bag full of cortlands, sitting in their red and green checked orchard bag on my kitchen floor. “Sigh,” I thought to myself last night, “I suppose it is time to make apple butter.”

Despite my sighs, this really is an easy recipe. Just a little peeling, chopping and simmering. Oh, and a little blending. But still, very simple, and very yummy. As is my custom with preserve making, there is far less sugar than in typical recipes. Let me assure you, it is still nice and sweet, but the flavor concentration is on the apples, not the sugar.

One word of caution, be careful to NOT BURN YOUR EYE. Because guess what… I did. I went to check on the progress of my delicious apple butter and the the bubbling goo spurted up violently, hitting me square in the eye. Ouch. Just beware of apple butter related injuries, they’re no joke.

Apple Butter

Ingredients

2 lbs. of apples (I use cortlands), peeled and chopped into bite size chunks
1 cup of water
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 maple syrup
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice

1.) In a large pot combine apples and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally. Cook until the apples look like chunky apple sauce (probably about 5 minutes).
2.) Blend the apples in a blender (two batches if you are using a standard blender).
3.) Pour the apple sauce back into the pot and add the sugar, maple syrup and spices.
4.) Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about one hour or until thick and golden brown in color.
5.) Freeze what will not be eaten in three weeks.