Apple Butter - Let's Jam # 2

Made in Jan 2012

I bought some freaking cheap but ugly looking apples from the night market. They have streaks of brown on their skin, but when cut they look perfectly fine. And I have to clear the fridge or at least shrink my stock to make way for Chinese New Year. I didn’t really need these apples, but I can’t help but buy them because they were really cheap.

this pic was taken 2 weeks back, 6M after it was bottled

Frankly.. this looks more like apple jam than apple butter. Is it because I didn’t use ground spices, but whole? Well, my family(s) are not big fans of spices in sweet things. Using them whole is a better choice. I didn’t have any cloves on hand, but I think adding some in will be great. It’s not very sweet, but sourishly sweet. Maybe due to the vinegar used, although I have reduced the amount. So, don’t fear and cut cut cut cut the sugar. If not you will cry cry cry cry because it is sour.

I hope to try another version made with red apples, of which is of course, sweeter. But the recipe is different. Next time, I shall, if I get some nice cheap red apples.

Apple Butter

Recipe source: Simply Recipes
Adapted by WendyinKK

Stage 1 Cooking
1kg green apples (Granny Smith)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (Original recipe was about 1/2 cup)
1 cup water

Cut apples into large chunks. Put everything into a pot. Pour in apple cider vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. Apples will be soft. Press apple pieces through a sieve and discard the skin. Press the pulp (and all liquids in pot) through the sieve and discard the final remains. Measure puree and calculate the sugar needed

Ratio is:
1 cup puree (250ml): ½ cup sugar (100gm)
Mine is
3 cups puree (750ml) : 1.5 cups sugar (300gm)


Stage 2 Cooking
300gm sugar
2 pcs 2 inch cinnamon stick
Few cloves (I didn’t put)
1 heaped tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Place a saucer into the freezer. Pour puree into a pot, put in everything and cook on medium low until thick. To test, place a little bit of the cooked puree onto cold saucer, it should form a blob, and not spread out. Pour hot apple butter into sterilized jars with one cinnamon stick in each jar. Place the cap on and let it cool down. It the safety seal goes down, it is properly sealed. If not, just keep it in the fridge, chilled all the time.
Makes approximately 2 bottles

Stage 1

Stage 2  begins at the 3rd pic

Stage 2 cooking