Your family will love this apple butter on toast, ice cream, even pork loin! Pick-your-own apples at one of our local farms, then head home to make this simple recipe with the kids.
The Basics
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 4 pounds of apples, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of ground cloves
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Combine the apples, apple cider, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves.
- Puree the mixture in a blender in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender).
- Return the mixture to the pot and bake, uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until thickened and deep amber, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours (the timing will depend on the kind of apples you use).
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.
Recipe courtesy of FoodNetwork.com