Homemade Apple Butter Oven Method Recipes

HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine the apples, cider, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves and salt in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until the apples are very tender, about 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and puree using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender (be careful when blending hot liquids).
• Transfer the pot to the oven. Bake, uncovered, stirring every 20 minutes so that the bottom does not burn, until the mixture is very thick and a rich brown caramel color, about 3 hours. Cool completely.

APPLE BUTTER IN THE OVEN

Steps:

• Combine apples, apple cider, brown sugar, and salt in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and allspice. Bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook until apples are soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Remove whole spices from the pot with a slotted spoon. Reserve cinnamon and star anise; discard cloves and allspice. Puree apples with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and return cinnamon and star anise to the pot.
• Bake uncovered in the preheated oven, stirring every 30 minutes, until apple butter thickens and deepens in color, about 3 hours. Let cool completely. Discard cinnamon and star anise before transferring to airtight containers.

APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine apples, vinegar, allspice berries (if using), cinnamon sticks (if using), ginger (if using), star anise pod (if using) and 4 cups water in a large, heavy bottomed pot over high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely softened and the liquid has reduced by half, 30 to 40 minutes. (Some pieces of apple might float at first; they will sink and become submerged as they soften.) Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Leaving behind allspice berries, cinnamon sticks and star anise pod, pass the apples through a food mill. (Alternatively, working in batches, ladle apples into a strainer or colander, and using a ladle, wooden spoon or spatula, press apples to pass pulp through, leaving behind seeds and skin.)
• To finish on the stovetop: Place apple pulp in the same large, heavy-bottomed pot, add granulated sugar and light brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, glossy and a deep golden brown (somewhere between honey and molasses), 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Around the 1 1/2-hour mark, things will start to bubble rather violently. Stirring constantly will help, but expect, and be careful of, a few splatters.) To test the thickness, spoon a bit onto a plate: The mixture should set almost immediately with no spreading or wateriness. If it's not there yet, cook another 8 to 10 minutes and test again. When the desired consistency is reached, season with kosher salt.
• To finish in the oven: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place apple pulp in a 9-inch by 13-inch (3-quart) baking dish, add granulated sugar and light brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Place in oven and let cook, stirring every 30 minutes or so, until mixture is thick, glossy and a deep, golden brown color (somewhere between honey and molasses), 3 to 3 1/2 hours. To test the thickness, spoon a bit onto a plate: The mixture should set almost immediately with no spreading or wateriness. If it's not there yet, cook another 20 to 30 minutes and test again. When the desired consistency is reached, season with kosher salt.

APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and add apples. Cook apples until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add cider, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until soft, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mash softened apples with a potato masher. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until smooth.
• Pour apple mixture evenly into a baking dish. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Let cool before serving. Apple butter may be kept, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 5 days.

KENTUCKY APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Place apples in a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Press apples through a food mill to separate seeds, cores, and skin from apple pulp and transfer pulp to a bowl. Stir white sugar, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg into apples. Pour apple mixture into a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven, stirring and scraping sides every 20 to 30 minutes, until apple butter is red and thickened, 2 to 4 hours.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack apple butter into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 30 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Combine the apples, apple cider, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves. Puree the mixture in a blender in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender).
• Return the mixture to the pot and bake, uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until thickened and deep amber, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours (the timing will depend on the kind of apples you use). Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.
• Try it on: Pancakes, waffles, yogurt, oatmeal, grilled cheese, PB&J, biscuits, cornbread or pork chops

APPLE BUTTER (OVEN ROASTED)

Steps:

• 1. Place apples and vinegar in large stainless stell pot with 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium, and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until apples have applesauce-like consistency. Run mixture through food mill or press through sieve to separate pulp from skin and seeds; discard skin and seeds. transfer pulp (you should have about 5 cups) to large ovenproof dish or Dutch oven.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir remaining ingredients into apple pulp. Bake 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until apple butter thickens to a spreadable consistency, stirring every 15 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, sterilize jars and lids. Submerge jars in large pot filled halfway with simmering water, and lids in a small pot of simmering water. Keep jars and lids in hot water until ready to use
• 4. Remove jars one at a time from hot water, and fill with jam, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Seal with Remove jars one at a time from hot water, and fill with jam, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Seal with lids. Place canning rack or cake rack in bottom of large pot, and return sealed jars to pot, adding extra water to cover jars by 1 inch, if necessary. Bring to a boil, and boil 10 minutes. Remove jars from water, and cool
• 5. We discovered the oven method quite by accident one My dad discovered the oven method accidentally one year. He was planning to make apple butter and my mom had the stove tied up. When it came time to make the apple butter - my father shoved the pulp in the oven and was delighted to discover how quickly it cooked. We never made it stove-top again