Recipe(tried): Sugar-Free Apple Butter

Hi,

Here is an apple butter recipe using juice as a sweetener. It's really quite good.

Enjoy!

Sugar Free Apple Butter
Approved by: Dr. George K. York, Food Technologist Emeritus, UC Davis

Yield: 2 half-pints

2 pounds Granny Smith, Winesap, pippin or other tart apples, peeled, cored
and coarsely chopped
1 can (6 ounces) thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
Ground cinnamon or mace to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Puree the apples, in batches if necessary, in a blender or food processor with the thawed apple concentrate. Place the mixture in a glass or ceramic baking dish, season with cinnamon or mace, bake, stirring 2 or 3 times, for 1 hour, or until golden brown and reduced by half.

Ladle the apple butter into hot sterilized jars and seal. Fill clean, hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars with apple butter, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles by sliding a nonmetallic spatula between the jar and food; press gently on the food to release trapped air. Repeat procedure 2 to 3 times around jar. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean, damp cloth. Apply lids. Let cool, label and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze and for up to one year.

For longer storage process in a simmering hot water bath for 10 minutes at 190 degrees F. Remove jars from canner; set them upright on a towel to cool. Bands should not be retightened. Let jars cool 12 to 24 hours. After jars are cool, test for a seal by pressing the center of the lid. If the lid does not flex up and down, the lid is sealed. Remove the bands. Wipe jars and lids with a clean, damp cloth. Label and store jars in a cool, dry, dark place.