Canned Apple Butter

Canned Apple Butter

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Your Key Ingredient to Food Preservation:

NESCO Smart Canner

NESCO 6-Piece Canning Kit

NESCO 6 Qt. Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

  • 8 lbs (3.6 kg) soft, sweet apples (wash, remove stems, quarter and core; no need to peel)
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 2 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 2¼ cups (450 g) granulated sugar
  • 2¼ cups (450 g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground cloves

Directions:

  1. Prep jars: For half-pint or pint jars, sterilize by boiling empty jars for 10 minutes, then keep hot until ready to use. Quart jars don’t need pre-sterilizing. Just wash them and keep them hot in simmering water. Wash lids in warm soapy water.
  2. Cook apples in cider and vinegar: Use flavorful varieties like Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman, Golden Delicious, or McIntosh. Cook the apples slowly in the 2 cups apple cider and 2 cups vinegar until soft.
  3. Press the fruit: Press the softened fruit through a colander, food mill, or strainer to remove skins and seeds.
  4. Cook pulp with sugar and spices: Cook the fruit pulp with the 2¼ cups granulated sugar, 2¼ cups packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon ground cloves, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from the steam for 2 minutes. It’s done if the butter stays mounded on the spoon. You can also spoon a small amount onto a plate. It’s ready when no rim of liquid separates around the edge.
  5. Fill the jars: Using a canning funnel, fill hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean, then add lids and bands fingertip-tight.
  6. Load the NESCO canner: Place the liner pot in the NESCO Smart Canner and Cooker and set the canning rack in the bottom. Load the filled jars onto the rack.
  7. Add water: Fill with water until jars are covered by at least 1–2 inches. Make sure the Pressure Limiting Valve is set to Exhaust.
  8. Set water bath mode: Press the WB/Steam button, then press TIME (+) to set the processing time from the table below. Adjust upward for altitude.
  9. Start and wait for full boil: Press Start (do NOT press Pressure Cook). The digital chase will rotate as the unit heats. You’ll see a constant, steady stream of steam from the Pressure Exhaust Valve once it reaches a boil.
  10. Start the timer: Once you see the constant steam stream, press Start again to begin the processing timer. Do not press Start a third time, or the unit will shut down completely.
  11. Rest, then remove jars: When the cycle finishes, follow your NESCO manual for the rest period before turning the lid to the open position. Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter. Lids will pop as they seal and cool.
  12. Cure before opening: Cover jars with a towel and leave undisturbed for 12–24 hours before checking seals. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within a few weeks.

Canning method (NESCO Smart Canner, water bath mode): Half-pints or pints 5 min / quarts 10 min at 0–1,000 ft; 10 / 15 min at 1,001–6,000 ft; 15 / 20 min above 6,000 ft.

Recipe adapted from NCHFP (National Center for Home Food Preservation), Apple Butter.