Need to retailer your selfmade apple butter long-term however don’t have freezer area? Learn to can apple butter and revel in this fall favourite all 12 months lengthy.
No doubt my hottest recipe this time of 12 months is my gradual cooker apple butter. And there’s actually no query why! It’s extremely straightforward and completely scrumptious.
One of the crucial frequent questions I get concerning the recipe is: Can I can this apple butter?
I didn’t develop up with a grandmother who canned meals, so I by no means messed round a lot with it. It all the time appeared actually intimidating to me. However I known as up my pal Megan and requested her to show me what I wanted to know to can my apple butter.
I don’t assume I’ll grow to be a grasp canner, but it surely’s good to know easy methods to protect one among my favourite fall meals with out taking over a bunch of area in my freezer.
So let’s speak by way of the fundamentals on easy methods to can apple butter!
WHY CAN APPLE BUTTER?
Up to now, I’ve all the time simply saved my selfmade apple butter within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks or in my freezer for as much as 3 months.
In fact, there are some downsides to this. For one, it takes up area within the freezer, and never everybody has further freezer area to spare.
It is also nice for 3 months, however after that you simply danger freezer burn and that isn’t nice. So regardless that it could get you thru the winter, you may not have apple butter come spring or summer time.
When you’ll be able to your apple butter, you’ll be able to merely retailer it within the pantry and it’s good for as much as 18 months!
My pal Rebecca has some canning fundamentals suggestions that share easy methods to know when your canned meals has gone unhealthy. Meals in Jars can be a fantastic useful resource for newbie canners.
Canned apple butter additionally makes a extremely nice reward for household and associates or as a Thanksgiving hostess reward. And since it’s preserved, you don’t have to fret about telling them to maintain it within the fridge or freezer.
HOW TO CAN APPLE BUTTER
In case you’ve by no means canned your individual meals earlier than, I do know that it appears intimidating. However I promise that it’s not as scary because it appears.
We’ll be doing water-bath canning for this recipe. It’s so much much less scary than strain canning and requires fewer particular instruments.
In actual fact, when you attempt it out, you may even need to study easy methods to make pickles and different meals to can, too!
What you’ll want
Clearly you will have a batch of selfmade apple butter. As a result of apples are naturally fairly acidic, the excellent news is you don’t have to make any adjustments to my apple butter recipe earlier than canning.
You’ll be able to even use my Immediate Pot apple butter recipe in the event you like.
As for the instruments, you will have:
- A big stockpot or canning pot, sufficiently big so there’s a minimum of 3 inches of area between the tops of your jars and the highest of the pot.
- 4 pint jars or 8 half-pint jars with brand-new lids and rings.
- Tongs for dunking the jars within the scorching water.
- A ladle and wide-mouth (canning) funnel for filling the jars.
- A chopstick or kitchen dowel to take away any air bubbles.
- A jar lifter for decreasing the crammed jars into the water.
Within the recipe card beneath, I’ve linked to a set that features the whole lot you will have apart from the jars and lids, which you’ll be able to decide up at nearly any grocery retailer or ironmongery shop.
You can too get a lot of the different instruments at kitchen or {hardware} shops, however I just like the comfort of getting the whole lot you want in a single order.
Canning the apple butter
Earlier than you begin, ensure that your jars and gear are very clear. Use scorching, soapy water or run the whole lot by way of the dishwasher.
You additionally need your apple butter to be freshly made and nonetheless scorching if you add it to the jars. So have the whole lot able to go when the apple butter is finished.
Fill the stockpot or canning pot with water. There must be sufficient water within the pot to cowl the crammed jars by a minimum of 1 inch.
Cowl the pot and set it to boil.
Lay a clear kitchen towel out on the countertop and set your jars, lids, and rings out on the towel.
Use the tongs (or jar lifter) to dunk the jars into the recent water. Empty them out again into the pot and set them on the towel once more. This warms the jars and helps forestall the glass from cracking after we add the recent apple butter.
Use the ladle and funnel so as to add the recent apple butter into the jars. Go away ¼-inch of area on the high of the jars, then use a chopstick to softly take away any trapped air bubbles.
Use a moist paper towel to wipe the edges clear, then place on the lids. Screw the rings on to fightertip tight. You don’t need the rings to maneuver freely, however they need to be simply unscrewed.
Use your jar lifter to rigorously decrease the jars into the boiling water.
Return the water to a boil and canopy the pot. If utilizing pint jars, boil the jars for quarter-hour. In case you’re utilizing half-pint jars, boil them for 10 minutes.
After the boiling time is over, flip off the warmth and let the jars sit within the water for five minutes. Use the jar lifter to rigorously carry the jars from the pot and place them on the towel.
Now let the jars relaxation, undisturbed, for twenty-four hours. It’s possible chances are you’ll hear a pinging noise because the jars seal, so don’t freak out in the event you do.
As soon as the jars have rested for twenty-four hours, examine the seals. Label the jars and retailer them within the pantry for as much as 18 months.
Any jars that didn’t seal correctly can nonetheless be loved however they have to be saved within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks.
USES
In search of methods to make use of your canned apple butter?
Strive it on a slice of toasted english muffin bread or on a heat, buttered buttermilk drop biscuit.
However breakfast isn’t the one method to take pleasure in it! It’s nice in savory functions, too. Swap out the cranberry sauce for apple butter in cranberry brie bites for a easy and scrumptious Thanksgiving appetizer.
Or use it to make an incredible apple butter BBQ hen sandwich!
And don’t overlook about charcuterie boards. A small bowl of it alongside your favourite cheeses, meats, and crackers is an unimaginable addition.
There are such a lot of scrumptious causes to learn to can apple butter!
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Place the apples in a gradual cooker. In a medium bowl, mix sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg cloves and salt. Pour the combination over the apples and blend nicely.
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Prepare dinner in gradual cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring sometimes, till the combination is thickened and darkish brown.
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Uncover, stir in vanilla and proceed cooking uncovered on low for about 2 hours.
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Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter till clean.
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Fill a big stockpot or canning pot with water. It must be sufficient in order that your crammed jars can be coated by a minimum of 1 inch. Cowl and set to boil.
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Set 4 pint jars or 8 half-pint jars, lids, and rings on a towel-lined countertop.
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Utilizing a pair of tongs, dunk the jars into the recent water and empty, then set on the towel once more. That is to heat the jars to stop cracking when the recent apple butter is added.
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Ladle the recent apple butter into the jars, leaving ¼ inch of area on the high of the jars.
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Use a chopstick or kitchen dowel to softly take away any trapped air bubbles.
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Wipe rims of the jars clear with a moist paper towel.
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Place the lids, then screw on the rings to fingertip tight – it shouldn’t be capable of transfer freely, however will be simply unscrewed.
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Utilizing a jar lifter, rigorously decrease the jars into the boiling water tub.
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Return the water to a boil, cowl, and boil jars for quarter-hour for pint jars, or 10 minutes for half-pint jars.
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Flip off the warmth and let the jars sit for five minutes. Then use the jar lifter to rigorously take away the jars and place on the towel-lined countertop.
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Let the jars relaxation, undisturbed, for twenty-four hours. You may hear a pinging noise because the jars seal.
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After the jars have rested, examine for seals, label, and retailer within the pantry for as much as 18 months.
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Any unsealed or opened jars of apple butter have to be saved within the fridge.
Makes slightly below 4 pints.
Serving: 2tablespoons | Energy: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.1g | Fats: 0.1g | Saturated Fats: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fats: 0.005g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.1mg
