Lancaster Apple Butter - Recipelink.com

Featured Cookbook

Book Description

Sheila Lukins's USA Cookbook celebrates American cooking as seen through the enthusiastic eyes of one of the nation's most popular cooks and successful cookbook authors. The 600-plus recipes in this hefty book include exuberant versions of American classics like tomato soup and chocolate pudding

... (more)

U.S.A. Cookbook

Authors: Sheila Lukins

Date: May 1997

ISBN: 1563058073

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company

Paperback

ORDER/INFO

Lancaster Apple Butter
Recipe from: U.S.A. Cookbook
by Sheila Lukins
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

Until I spent a weekend in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I had always thought of apple butter as one of those elusive foods that was sold in jars or served on relish trays at quaint country inns. But visiting with Mennonite and Amish families, I was treated to the most delicious, perfectly spiced apple butter imaginable. I knew the time had come for me to have a lesson in this all-American spread. To begin with, I learned that any old apple won't do. For the perfect consistency, it has to be a mealy-textured cooking apple, such as Gravenstein, McIntosh, or Rome Beauty. Cooked with cider, then baked with a touch of cinnamon and a splash of vinegar, this apple butter is thick, dark, and deeply aromatic. Although this recipe may be more work than a trip to the supermarket, it is eminently worthwhile, and the apple butter will keep for up to 3 weeks--if you don't eat it all with the first taste!

Makes: About 5 cups

6 pounds mealy apples (Gravenstein, McIntosh, Rome Beauty)
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar

Peel and core the apples, then quarter them. Place the apples in a heavy ovenproof pot, add the cider, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the apples are soft, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Press the apples, along with any liquid, through a strainer into a bowl. Return the mixture to the pot and add the cinnamon, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bake, uncovered, for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 weeks.

More From This Book: