Apple Sauce and Apple Butter

A sweetened sauce made from cooked apples and spices. Applesauce can be smooth or chunky, very sweet or tart, and can be flavored with other fruits to create a blend. It can be made fresh or purchased in several varieties, usually packed in jars.


Smooth Apple Sauce


Chunky Apple Sauce


Apple Butter
In contrast to what the name implies, there is no "butter" in apple butter. The name comes from its smooth and buttery texture. Apple butter is delicious on buttered toast.

4 lbs of good cooking apples (Granny Smith or Gravenstein)
Cut the apples into quarters, without peeling or coring them, cut out damaged parts.

1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
Put the apples into large pot, add the vinegar and water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Ladle apple mixture into a chinois sieve and using a pestle force pulp from the chinois into a large bowl below. (You can use a food mill instead but we have found the chinois is easier.) Measure resulting puree.

1/2 cup of sugar
Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of apple pulp. Stir to dissolve sugar.

salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Add a dash of salt, and the cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, lemon rind and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Cook uncovered on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook until thick and smooth when a bit is spooned onto a cold plate (1 to 2 hours). Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal. As an alternative to stove cooking the puree you can cook uncovered in a microwave, on medium heat to simmer, for around 30 minutes. Makes a little more than 3 pint jars. (elise - simply recipes)

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All About Apples