When my mom said she was going to make apple butter from applesauce - I asked her how that would work and she said, "Oh you know, a little of this and a little of that - just like we make pumpkin butter!" And since I'm seasonally challenged these days - like making pumpkin muffins in April because it's so blasted cold outside - I thought, why not continue this trend and make some apple butter too?
Using applesauce is much easier and faster than making apple butter from fresh apples - no peeling, slicing, coring, mashing...just pour and stir - add in some cinnamon and cloves, skim off the foam, and with the magic of Pectin it's good to go!
Once cooled I spread some over a piece of toast - it was thick and gooey - more like jam than butter - and very, very good. This recipe makes 5 cups and it can be processed in a hot water bath so it will last longer or you can skip that step and just keep it in the refrigerator - it'll be gone long before it goes bad.
I'll eat my share of this apple butter but then I'll give some as gifts with a hot loaf of bread - now who wouldn't like that?!
Apple Butter From Applesauce - Pots and Pins
3 cups sugar
3 cups no-sugar added applesauce
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 box (1.75 oz.) Pectin
In a large saucepan, combine first 3 ingredients over medium heat; stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Bring to a rolling boil. Add pectin; stir until dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil again and boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, skim off foam. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Store in refrigerator or process for 10 minutes in a hot-water bath. Let sit on counter until you hear the "pop" letting you know the jars have sealed. Serve with hot bread or muffins. Makes five cups.
"To invite a person into your house is to take charge of his happiness for as long as he is under your roof." ~ Brillat-Savarin