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:

  • 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) soft, sweet apples (core and chop into ¼” pieces, no need to peel)
  • 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 vanilla bean (or 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract)

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 and keep hot in simmering water. Wash lids in warm soapy water.
  2. Cook apples in cider and vinegar: Cook 5 pounds apples, washed, quartered, and cored (no need to peel) — use flavorful varieties like Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman, Golden Delicious, or McIntoshslowly in 1.4 cups apple cider and 1.4 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 5 cups granulated sugar, 1.5 cups packed brown sugar, 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons 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 (or if no rim of liquid separates around a small spoonful on a plate).
  5. Fill the jars: Using a canning funnel, fill hot butter into jars, leaving 1/4 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 — 5 minutes for half-pints/pints or 10 minutes for quarts at 0-1,000 ft (adjust upward for altitude per the notes below).
  9. Start and wait for full boil: Press Start (do NOT press Pressure Cook). The digital chase will rotate as the unit heats. It should reach a boil in 15-25 minutes — you’ll see a constant, steady stream of steam from the Pressure Exhaust Valve once it’s there.
  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, let the unit rest 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 before checking seals or opening. 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