A neighbor recently picked up crates of apples being given away. She gifted me two of the boxes; we weren’t sure what type of apples they were, and they were all at the edge of being too ripe. These are the perfect cooking apples, as they are sweet and soft.
After making pies, crumbles and eating some of the sliced fruit, I processed the culled apples and made apple butter. I used this recipe from Feast For a Fraction, and the process was simple and end result delicious. There were enough apples for me to make two batches of apple butter, so I went ahead and canned the eight pints and tucked them away in the pantry.
Sarah Pyle, author the recipe, noted a few variations for this recipe. As I’ve previously written about, I have a young son with Alpha Gal. These simple ingredients were easy to swap for “safe” ingredients for him to consume, and it’s nice to find another version of a sweet treat he likes. Here is what I used to make each batch of apple butter:
I wound up having 10 lbs of apples, so I had a double batch and eight pints.
Gear needed:
First, I loaded my jars, lids and rings into my dishwasher on a quick wash cycle. I left the door of the dishwasher closed at the end of the cycle to keep my jars warm while I made the apple butter.
After taking a break for breakfast, I then weighed my apples using my kitchen scale and colander. I then washed and dried the apples before moving on to the next step.
Hallelujah – no need to peel these apples. In fact, I think the peelings make the butter taste better. I cored and sliced my apples into approximately the same-size slices. My apples were all different shapes and sizes, so I just did my best.
I added the apples to my Instant Pot sleeve. I am fortunate to have two sleeves, so I was able to prep both batches at the same time. If you don’t have two sleeves, one sleeve and a big mixing bowl will work, too.
I then dumped the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt, vanilla and ACV on top of the apple slices and stirred. Yup, it is that simple!
After placing the sleeve inside my Instant Pot and adding the lid, I set the appliance on Manual, High Pressure for 15 minutes, just as Sarah recommends. After the timer, I let the pot naturally release for 20 minutes before using my immersion blender to make the concoction smooth.
Next, I turned on the Saute function and set it to “less.” I cooked my apple butter for five minutes, stirring often.
I filled each pint jar, leaving the recommended headspace of 1/2 inch. After wiping the rims, adding the lids and rings, I placed the first four pints into a sink full of hot water. This helped keep them toasty while I processed the second batch of apple butter.
I repeated the cooking and blending process with my second Instant Pot sleeve, filled and topped the jars as I had the first batch. I then processed all eight pints in my Ball water bath canner for 10 minutes. When that time had elapsed, I removed the jarred apple butter to a thick kitchen towel to cool.
I left the jars undisturbed for a day before removing the rings, wiping the lids and placing nine jars in the pantry. The other jar I popped open and promptly sampled its contents. They were smooth, tasteful with a nice little tang from the ACV. This apple butter is so good, in fact, I have already made another batch to give away to friends!
Jackie Baird Richardson is an interior designer, editor at The WON and avid junker. Watch for her design tips and occasional crafting ideas, bringing the outdoors indoors. View all posts by Jackie Richardson
