Have you ever made your own jams or preserves? If you have, this one will be easy. If not, no problem. Making your own Apple Butter is simple and uses simple, easy to find ingredients. It doesn’t need pectin like most jams. All you need is a bunch of hungry kids to see it disappear fast! So, let’s get started. By the way, if you want preservatives in yours, buy it at the store. Canning the stuff is good for about a year without them.
* 5 lb Apples (About 15 medium apples)
* 4 & 1/2 cups Apple cider or apple juice
* 2 cups Sugar
* 1 Tblsp Apple Cider Vinegar
* 1 & 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
* 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
First, peel, core and slice apples, then cut into pieces about the size of your thumb(about 3/4 inches square). Then combine them with the cider or juice in a 10qt pot. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, remove from heat and mash the mixture with a potato masher until you have a consistent but fluid mix. There will be some lumps, but they will break down with the next cooking cycle. Mix in the vinegar, sugar and spices, the cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for about an hour and a half, stirring often. If the mixture thickens sooner, all the better, but watch it closely. You are trying to evaporate the water out.
When done, ladle into hot, sterilized pint or half-pint jars, depending on your crowd. Leave about 1/4 inch headspace, wipe the rim and seal the jars. Next, place the jars in a boiling water canner and bring to a boil. Process the jars for five minutes after the water returns to a boil. Then remove the jars and let them cool on racks. You may want to open one for your hungry crowd right then if they start to get restless. By then the smell of apples and cinnamon will have drifted through and filled your house with love and anticipation. If you are the daring type(?), then try substituting brown sugar for the regular sugar. Enjoy!
Jim Hall is a Caveman from another millennium. He’s an aspiring author and novelist wanna be. Writing for him is a change of character as well as occupation. Bear with him and he will grow and develop into a writing butterfly after his metamorphosis. He once was a carpenter caterpillar until he entered the chrysalis stage. Breaking out of the cocoon of a previous career is hard work but rewarding work. Like a butterfly, look for great things to come. You never know!
Find him in the Ezine Articles Author area. The sales pitch is he is eager to write and he needs cash. He is fairly literate and somewhat well read. Carpenters can read, you know!
The real plus here is he is not bound by the conformity and whims of conventional thought. To him, functionality is beauty. If it works well, it’s beautiful. It doesn’t have to be pretty.
MERMAID – MAKE UP TUTORIAL
