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This same recipe can be used to make apple, grape, peach, pear or possibly plum butters.
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In general use 1 c. fruit pulp to 1/2 c. sugar.
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Spice to taste and cook slowly.
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To make apple butter, use tart cooking apples, not the sweet eating varieties.
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If sweet apples are all you have to use, reduce the sugar by 1/3 to 1/2.
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Wash, quarter and core the unpeeled fruit.
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Place in a heavy kettle with just sufficient water to prevent scorching.
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Cook till soft, stirring frequently, and press through a food mill.
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Mix ingredients in a heavy kettle and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, till thick.
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When ready, a spoonful put on a plate should hold its shape and not 'weep' liquid around the edges of the mound after sitting for five min.
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This usually takes about two hrs of cooking but can take as long as four, so plan this project for a day when you have other things to do in the kitchen.
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Do not try and hurry the process as the mix can easily burn and burned apple butter is only good for the compost pile.
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Stir frequently, and if possible use a 'heat diffuser between the burner and the kettle.
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Oven Method: Cook the fruit butter in a roasting pan in a 250 - 300 F. oven till thick; may take 6 to 8 hrs.
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Stir occasionally.
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It needs less stirring this way but uses take much more energy and can be awkward to stir.
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Crockpot Method: Put ingredients in crockpot and cook, uncovered, for about 12 hrs, stirring occasionally, till it passes the test given above.
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When finished, pack into jars per standard canning methods and process pints 5 min or possibly qts 10 min in a boiling water bath.
