Applebutter

In the fall when all the great apples are ready I make applesauce and applebutter. When I was young I'd make soup pots full of applebutter, a beautiful sweet condiment to spread on toast and bread. The sugar in the apples and the brown sugar I added cooked and cooked until smooth and thick. We adored it--we being my first husband and I. I peeled the apples, usually wild that we found on land where we rode the motorcycle. Wild apples were tart and worm ridden, but we cut away anything bad and then cooked it all in a big pot. The house filled with fine smells of cinnamon and sweet sugar. And the tart apple smell, sort of roselike in ways. At the end of the day when it was done, we turned it through the food mill, removing cores and peel and stems and then the thick butter went into jars. We poured paraffin on top to seal them up and set them on the shelf.

Later I learned a simpler way to make apple butter. Peel and core the apples and put them in a baking dish in the oven. Of course the sugar and cinnamon are mixed in and the heat is low so it cooks slowly. Every so often the mess of butter is stirred. Not so romantic, but after a few hours, one has nice thick apple butter—just as good, I believe.

If you have orchards and store your apples in a cool place, you may be having some varities that are getting soft. These are the ones to cook. For more apple recipes see Apple Recipes

Peace, Flower