An Apple A Day
It is that time of year. A few days left before the temperature drops into the 20's. Time for the last apple haul of the season.
The problem this year is with the crazy spring weather we had, we have small apples. Instead of being the size of a tennis ball they are more the size of a racquetball. But, oh they are so sweet and yummy!! I have been doing a few small batches a couple of bags here and there since the end of September, all sliced up and frozen. Plus we ate many, many, many, fried apples.
BUTTER & JUICE !!
This round I decided to make apple butter and apple juice. The thing with apple butter is that it take a long time to cook down. Over night in a crock pot or hours on the stove with a stir every few minutes. NOT this year, I found a recipe for the instant pot. I have not jumped on this band wagon yet, as I have limited space in my kitchen..... but my parents have one and since I was headed out there for the apples, why not try it out.
ROAD TRIP !!
So I loaded all I would need for the trip into the car and drove out to the farm. Fast-forward through the picking, cleaning, peeling, slicing, coring, cooking, and canning, to.... I HAVE APPLE BUTTER!!
Instant Pot Apple Butter
(or regular pressure cooker)
This made 5 pints ...1 not pictured because we were eating it.
5 lbs of apple Cored & sliced (Do not peel)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups water
Mix all together and dump into the instant pot.
Secure the lid and set timer for 1 hour on high.
After cooking you need to blend the cooked apples. The immersion blender (stick blender) works great or you can transfer it to a regular blender,> Just be careful not to fill too full and to cover the top with a towel as you blend in case the steam cause the lid to blow. From here you have different options. You can put in large jars and keep in the fridge, water bath can them so that they are shelf stable, or freeze.
I wanted to add them to my pantry of canned goods so I did the water bath canning.
"Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint or pint jars 10 minutes." Ball Canning Book
CONFESSION !!
I bought some 1/2 pint canning jars at a discount store. They did not seal good, so I am re-canning all my apple butter using the tried and true lids in my house Ball brand. I also felt that my "butter" was too runny, so I cooked it down a little to thicken it up. Sometimes it is just trial and error.
God Bless & Enjoy!
Tyra