Apple Butter

4 quarts apple cider
3 quarts pare and quartered cooking apples (about 4 pounds)
2 cups sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves.

1. Heat cider to boiling in a 5~quart Dutch oven. boil, uncovered, until cider reduces to measure 2~quarts..abjout 1 1/4 hours.

2. Add apples and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently; until apples are soft and can be broken apart with spoon, about 1 hour. (Apples can be pressed through sieve or food processor at this point for smooth apple butter.)

3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until no liquid seperated from pulp, about 2 hours.

4. Heat to boiling. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4~inch head space. Wipe rims of jars. Seal and process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.

Choose apples for cooking such as Beacon~Cortland~Jonathan~McIntosh~Rhodes Island Greening~RomeBeauty and york Imperial.