The Best Apple Butter Recipe - Weekend at the Cottage (2024)

FAQs

How do I thicken my homemade apple butter? ›

Leave the crock of apple butter uncovered, and continue to cook on LOW heat for another hour or so before giving it another stir. The apple butter will be fairly thick, but still run off the spoon–like the texture of commercial apple sauce. Don't worry, the apple butter will thicken as it cools.

Home-canned apple butter has a shelf life of about two years. Store in a cool, dark place.

Apple butter will thicken as it cools, so don't worry if it still looks a little runny in the slow cooker! If you still need to thicken your apple butter, you can continue to cook it uncovered in your crock pot or simmer it on the stove.

Apple butter is essentially concentrated applesauce.

The only difference is that apple butter is milled, pureed, or finely chopped and then cooked for a longer period of time, which gets out more water and allows it to caramelize.

The longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. Apple butter is high in natural sugar so if you want don't want to add sugar, then use sweet apples. The thing about sugar is that helps thicken your apple butter. I used about 5 tablespoons of coconut sugar so my apple butter was satisfyingly sweet.

If it's the consistency of applesauce, no ma'am! To check for doneness: Spoon out some of the apple butter, turn the spoon upside down. The apple butter should cling to the spoon without falling off right away. If it does fall off, continue cooking to remove more of the liquid.

During the slow cooking, the sugars that are naturally present in the apples caramelize into a deep, molasses-like flavor, and a dark color. This gives the apple butter its rich, sweet flavor and dark brown hue.

The apple butter will be fairly thick, but still run off the spoon–like the texture of commercial apple sauce. Don't worry, the apple butter will thicken as it cools.

Once the apple butter has cooled and been placed into jars or airtight containers, store using the following guidelines: Refrigerator Storage – You can store the apple butter in the fridge for up to 1 month. Freezer Storage – You can store the apple butter in the freezer for up to 1 year.

It also may be that the kettle was not well seasoned allowing the apple butter to make more contact with the metal of the pot. There is no way to remove the metallic taste or the metallic elements from the finished product.

Is apple butter healthy for you? ›

While apple butter is undeniably delicious, it also offers some health benefits. Made from fresh, organic apples, it contains essential nutrients like dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. These components contribute to a healthy digestive system, support immune function, and promote overall well-being.

Here, we want the fruit to fall apart. Chop, but don't peel or core them, since the skins amp up the apple flavor and the core adds pectin, which helps the apple butter set.

Average shelf life unopened is 11 months. But after you open a jar, it is very important it is re-capped and refrigerated. It will last about a month in the refrigerator, but we usually finish out a jar in a couple of days. The same goes for any baked goods or cooked items made with apple butter.

The color of apple butter is affected not only by the ingredients used but by the cooking, type of equipment (metals) amount of agitation, carmelization, and amount of exposure to air. Often the color of the batch is controlled by the color of the mash.

I recommend using Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, or Gala. Don't use Granny Smith; they are too tart and firm for this recipe. Weigh your apples before coring and chopping.

As we mentioned, flour and cornstarch are the most popular ingredients used to thicken butter sauce for pasta. After you've heated your butter and water combo in your skillet, turn your heat down so nothing scorches as you work in the dry ingredients. Then slowly whisk in your flour or cornstarch.

Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste.

Commonly used alternatives to cornstarch are flour, arrowroot starch and tapioca. Why is my Apple pie filling so watery? I use honey crisp, Granny Smith and Gala, then macerate and partially cook before baking.

All-Purpose Flour.

Flour is the other ingredient that thickens this apple pie filling—if you're looking for apple pie filling without cornstarch, this is it! (To make it gluten free, use half the amount of instant tapioca.)