I discovered apple butter, also known by its original English name apple butter, thanks to a foodie friend of mine who shared the recipe. Being very curious, I tried to delve into its countless uses. It’s important to know that it’s called “butter” only for its dense and soft consistency but does not contain even a gram of it! Needless to say, I was immediately intrigued and once home, I wanted to try making it myself!
Difference Between Apple Butter and Applesauce
Just to give you some information, you should know that, unlike applesauce, the butter involves a much longer and slower cooking process, until the apples become thick and turn brown. Moreover, applesauce has a more liquid consistency while apple butter becomes thick and, for that reason, spreadable.
Uses in Cooking and Nutritional Benefits
You can use it in several ways. Primarily spread on bread with ease, then to fill cakes, pancakes, pies, and whatever your imagination suggests. But there’s more! You can even add it to doughs as a substitute for butter or oil! Not bad, right? Obviously, I’m offering you a tempting and perfect idea to use it during these upcoming holidays! You can make both the famous American cookies I’ve revamped, the apple lemon crinkle cookies, and the whole wheat spelt donuts. In the meantime, remember that apple butter caters to almost all dietary needs because it’s a vegan recipe, lactose-free, gluten-free, and low glycemic index, containing only the sugars from the fruit. What do you think? Have I convinced you?
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3 jars
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 8 Golden apples
- 150 ml water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 lemon juice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 10 g fresh ginger (optional)
Preparation:
Wash, peel, and cut the apples into pieces. Place them in a pot and drizzle with lemon juice (fig. 1).
Pour in the water and apple cider vinegar and turn on the heat (fig. 2).
If you like, add the cinnamon (fig. 3).
Adding grated ginger is also optional. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 1 hour (fig. 4).
Stir occasionally, checking that the apples don’t stick during cooking (fig. 5).
Cook until it turns a nice brown color, continuing to stir to keep it from sticking (fig. 6).
At this point, blend with an immersion blender to reduce it to a puree. In my case, it was not necessary. Then let it cool for about half an hour before pouring it into glass jars and sealing them (fig. 7).
Then place the jars in a pot with water and proceed to sterilize them by simmering for 30 minutes (fig. 8).
Once opened, the jar can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Alternatively, if you want to consume it quickly, let it cool for at least a couple of hours before consuming it.
And voilà… your apple butter is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from FeFè’s kitchen!
Storage
Apple butter keeps for 2 months in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays to always have a small amount ready to use.
