Baked Apple Butter

Baked Apple Butter

What You Will Need:

2 lb apples

Juice and grated zest of one lemon

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, divided

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup Patricia & Paul Red Apple Dark Balsamic

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper.

Keeping their skins on, quarter the apples and remove the cores. Place them skin side down in one layer on the prepared baking try.

Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples, sprinkle with half the cinnamon, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the apples have softened and any moisture has evaporated. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes.

Gently scrape the apples from the parchment paper and into a food mill or fine mesh sieve. Press them (with the spoon if you’re using a sieve) into a large stock pot. The straining removes any skin and ensures all the apples get into the sieve.

Add the lemon zest, the remaining cinnamon, the brown sugar, and nutmeg with the balsamic. Mix well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn down the heat and simmer until you have a smooth paste thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Spoon the butter into hot, sterile 1-pint Mason jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Screw the lids on tightly and wait for them to seal; this could take 3-4 hours. To check if they’ve sealed, push each lid down in the center. If it makes a little popping noise, it hasn’t sealed. If they don’t seal, place them in the fridge for immediate use, or can them for longer storage.

To can the butter, prepare a hot water bath and canning rack in a canner or stock pot. Process the jar for 20 minutes (make any necessary elevation adjustments). Transfer to a cooling rack and wait for the lids to pop and seal.