Apples!
It’s apple season! And the lack of posts lately is partially due to that. The weather has been amazing. Cool and breezy just like fall should be. It’s the best weather for hiking and there’s no shortage of mountains to climb.
I decided to make apple butter with this weeks pickings; a bag of cortland apples. I could have stopped at the point that it became apple sauce because it tasted that good. But I continued reducing…and I’m happy I did! The result was a jar of deliciousness. I’ve been eating it straight from the jar, or on toast with cream cheese. So good.
I started with 10 apples, decent sized, large to medium. This is the most tedious part. You need to peel, core and quarter each apple. Then add a half cup of water and cook on medium heat until they are soft enough to mash with a fork. I use an immersion blender for this part, you could use a food processor or blender (working in small batches) if you don’t have one. Blend until completely smooth. Now, turn the heat down as low as possible and add any spices if you wish. I added a teaspoon of Chinese five spice and a chunk of raw ginger. Cinnamon sticks are good as well as vanilla. Or you could just keep it plain! Adding a bit of sugar helps in the preservation process, I added two tablespoons of maple syrup.
It took my apples about 5 and 1/2 hours to turn to a butter consistency. You must stir at least every 20 minutes. Make sure it’s on the lowest heat possible so you don’t burn it. You can go through the canning process at this point if you wish. I didn’t make enough that I would need to, so I just put it in a jar and keep it refrigerated.
Eat More Plants. 
One Response to “Apples!”
Awesome!!!