Apple Butter
This homemade apple butter is the perfect fix for when you have too many apples. It has a wonderfully intense apple flavor and holds for up to three months.
Ingredients
- 6 lb. mixed sweet and tart apples, unpeeled, uncored, chopped
- 6 cups unsweetened apple cider
- 1 cup raw or white granulated sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 3" cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton’s kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Directions
- 1
Bring 6 lb. mixed sweet and tart apples, unpeeled, uncored, chopped, 6 cups apple cider, 1 cup raw or white granulated sugar, or light brown sugar, one 3" cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton’s kosher salt to a boil in a large wide pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and apples are very soft, 1–1½ hours.
- 2
Discard cinnamon stick. Pass apple mixture through the fine disk of a food mill, or strain through a coarse-mesh sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula. Discard peel, seeds, and cloves.
- 3
Preheat oven to 350°. Transfer apple mixture to a 13x9" baking pan and bake, stirring every 30 minutes, until reduced by half and very thick and dark amber, 1½–2 hours. Stir in 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice; let cool in pan.
- 4
Do ahead: Apple butter can be made 1 month ahead; transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.
- 5
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed online in September 2016. Head this way for more of our best apple recipes →