Easy Homemade Apple Butter

 

Easy Homemade Apple Butter:

This year I am not waiting until the last minute for Christmas gifts.  We have made the change the past few years and have been giving homemade gifts to the special people in our life.  My family is able to give more gifts to more people since I have been making homemade goodies and stretching the process throughout the year. I knew I wanted to make apple butter or apple peel jelly and was planning on buying apples this week for the projects, but when I picked up some eggs from my neighbor, she gave me 2 bags of apples from an apple tree in her backyard, so today, my three-year-old and I started to make apple butter.

 

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. It is so quick and easy to make, and it is also much cheaper than buying at the store. I have so many apples that I am making this recipe in my Insta Pot and Crockpot so I will have directions for both.

Questions:

Is there butter in apple butter? No. Apple butter is a spread that is used as a jam or jelly. It’s similar to applesauce; yet cooked down more making it thicken and allowing the sugars in the apples to caramelize. This caramelization gives the apples butter the dark color. It’s delicious on a warm slice of sourdough toast, on pancakes, stirred into oatmeal or yogurt. It also makes a wonderful gift.

What apples are best for making apple butter? I recommend using Fuji, Gala, McIntosh, and Golden Delicious. Don’t use Granny Smith they are to tart and from for this recipe.

How do I thicken up my apple butter? Continue to cook it on low with the lid of the Insta Pot or slow cooker slightly ajar so that steam can escape. You can also add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. Mix one tablespoon of water then whisk into the simmering apple butter. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

What if my apple butter is too sweet? If the apple butter tastes too sweet, add about a 1/4 cup of vinegar to the mixture.

Can you freeze apples before making apple butter? Yes, you don’t need to peel the apples just core and slice.

How many pints of apple will 5 to 6 pounds of apples make?  I used 6 pounds and made about 64 ounces of apple butter.

How do you intensify butter flavor? Leave the butter uncovered in the refrigerator for a few days to develop a stronger flavor.

How long does homemade apple butter last? If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade apple butter can last up to 6 months. If stored in the freezer, it can last up to a year. Discard if it has an off odor, mold, or discoloration.

 

 

Items Needed for Apple Butter:

• Insta Pot
• Apple Peeler

Ingredients for Apple Butter:

5 to 6 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and sliced.

6 Tablespoons of vanilla

1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon

1 Teaspoon of ground cloves

1/2 Cup of water

 

Directions to make apple butter:

1. Wash the apples. 
2. Using an apple peeler, peel, core, and slice the apples. Save the peels and cores for later use. You can make apple peel jelly or apple cider vinegar. 
3. Place the apples in the Insta Pot. 
4. Add the vanilla, water, cinnamon, and cloves to the mixture.
5. Put the lid on the Insta Pot, set the vent to sealing, the press the manual button and adjust to 18 minutes at high pressure. 
6. When the timer is finished, let the pressure release naturally, for 20 minutes. Turn the dial to vent position and let remaining steam release.
7. Blend the apple mixture with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. The mixture will still be hot so be careful.

If the apple butter is too runny turn your Insta Pot to sauté, place the lid back on, stirring occasionally until it reaches the desired consistency. Or use the slow cooker method. I cooked mine an additional 8 hours on slow cook in the Insta Pot because I let it cook overnight. The apple butter in the crockpot and Insta Pot turned out delicious and reached the thickness I was desiring. Crock Pot Directions:

Follow same recipe for apple butter as Insta Pot. Cook on low overnight or until apples are tender. Puree with immersion blender and cool on low until apple butter reaches desired consistency.

 

This recipe is sooo easy! Please let me know in the comments if you made any changes in the recipe and how your apple butter turned out. To read more about me click here.

 

 

Apple Butter

Yield: 64 ounces

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 38 minutes

Easy Insta Pot recipe for delicious apple butter.

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Ingredients

• 5 to 6 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and sliced.
• 6 Tablespoons of vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/2 Cup of water

Instructions

1. Wash the apples. '
2. Using an apple peeler, peel, core, and slice the apples. Save the peels and cores for later use. You can make apple peel jelly or apple cider vinegar.
3. Place the apples in the Insta Pot.
4. Add the vanilla, water. ground cinnamon and ground cloves.
5. Put the lid on the Insta Pot, set the vent to sealing, the press the manual button and adjust to 18 minutes at high pressure.
6. When the timer is finished, let the pressure release naturally, for 20 minutes. Turn the dial to vent position and let remaining steam release.
7. Blend the apple mixture with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. The mixture will still be hot so be careful.
8. If the apple butter is too runny turn your Insta Pot to sauté, place the lid back on, stirring occasionally until it reaches the desired consistency.
9. I simmered mine in the slow cooker mode for four hours to get it the thickness I was looking for.

Notes

This can be water bathed canned and last for years. In the freezer for up to one year. In the fridge for up to one month.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 52Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g

This is only an estimation. Actual servings may differ.