Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 5 pounds apples such as Gravenstein, Elstar, or McIntosh
• 1 cup apple juice or water
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

1. 1. Peel, quarter, and core apples.
2. 2. In a 6- to 8-quart pan, combine apples and juice. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft when pressed, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. 3. In a blender or food processor, purée apple mixture, a portion at a time. Pour purée into a roasting pan about 12- by 17-inch size. Stir in brown sugar and granulated sugar to taste. Mix in the ground cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
4. 4. Bake, uncovered, in a 325° oven, stirring occasionally, until butter is thick enough to mound when spooned onto a plate, 30 to 45 minutes.
5. 5. Serve warm or cool. To store, cover and chill airtight up to 1 month. Or spoon into freezer containers, leaving at least 1 inch headspace. Cover airtight and freeze up to 1 year.
6. Nutritional analysis per 1/4 cup.