amazing apple butter

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 10 pounds apples, quartered
• 4 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 6 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 hrs 25 mins

Ready Time: 10 hrs 40 mins


• combine apples and apple juice in a stockpot; bring to a boil. reduce heat and cook at a simmer until apples are soft and mushy, 20 to 30 minutes.
• spoon apples into a food mill and process into puree while discarding the cores and peels remaining in the mill. transfer process apples to a slow cooker.
• cook on high with the lid off until the moisture evaporates and the volume reduces by about half, overnight to 24 hours.
• stir sugar, apple vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice through the apple puree.
• continue cooking on high until mixture mounds on a chilled plate without any water separating from the edges, another 2 to 6 hours.
• sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. pack the apple butter into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air . wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. top with lids, and screw on rings.
• place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. leave a 2-inch space between the jars. pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process 5 to 10 minutes.
• remove the jars from the stockpot and place a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). store in a cool, dark area.