I don't have an actual "recipe," its more of a process. I make this stuff every year because every ex-pat American friend we know wants a jar or two. And its a great way to use up a lot of apples. I've got a finish steamer, so sometimes I use a batch of chopped up apples to make some apple juice. If I have an assistant, we then put the cooked apples through the Lehman's strainer to make apple sauce. No assistant usually means chopped up apple bits, peal etc go either to chickens, horses or pig bought for fattening purposes. Take pan full of juice and add as many pealed and cored sliced apples as it will hold. This may be a lot. Add extra squirt of lemon juice and at least 1 cup of brown sugar to a large pot (I'm diabetic so I make a lower sugar version than most, so I can eat some of the results in moderation). For sweet lovers add up to 2 or 3 cups of brown sugar or white sugar/brown sugar mix. Now, my apple butter is very highly spiced. Much more than most cook books recommend. This is both personal taste and the fact that folks seem to enjoy the very high spice content when the stuff is served cold on biscuits, toast etc. So I add at least a table spoon or two of cinnamon, a teaspoon or two of cloves, another tablespoon of ginger and maybe a teaspoon or less of nutmeg. Remember, this is a large pot of stuff. I use either my cast iron dutch oven or good steel potato boiling pan.
Bring all ingredients up to a boil, at least once, then turn down and simmer for many hours. We put it on the back of a solid fuel stove. Low temperature in an electric oven can work as well. Be sure to stir at least once or twice an hour to avoid sticking. If you notice that it has accidentally burned. Stop stirring immediately and transfer to a new pan. Throw very bottom layer to chickens and continuing low temperature cooking. Cook until mixture is thick, brown and an even consistency. Usually at least four hours to overnight.
You can experiment with adding a few pears, berries and varying amounts of sugar. You MUST water bath can or freeze this stuff. Even in the fridge it goes off pretty quickly. I just noticed a jar we opened a couple of weeks ago, already need to be thrown to the birds. Its great to have around though. And you can use it in apple sauce cake recipes, instead of the apple sauce. Just omit spices and lessen the sugar in the basic cake.
Hope this helps...and I must try try the pumpkin butter recipe. We have to buy all our pumpkins at once, in October, and cook them down. That sounds like a real treat.
Melodi
PS - if cooking over night, use a very low tempreture to prevent burning or turn off for the night and resume heating in the morning. A cast iron pot will retain a low heat for hours. Just be sure and bring it back up to boil in the morning, just to be safe.
