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What Are the Best Tips for Making Apple Butter?

Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis

Apple butter is a delicious, low-fat spread made by cooking down apples to a jam-like consistency. While making homemade apple butter can be time-consuming, it involves relatively little work and can be mastered by novice cooks. Some of the best tips for making great apple butter include properly preparing jars, choosing the right apples, determining the best sweetener, and considering flavor combinations.

For those planning to jar apple butter for later use, it is important to properly clean and process jars to prevent mold or bacteria from tainting the butter. Jars should be carefully inspected for chips or cracks, and lids should be checked for warping or signs of rust. The lids and jars must then be sterilized in hot water, using a boiling water bath or hot water canner. Without proper sterilization, jars can allow the growth of harmful bacteria which can cause severe illness if consumed.

Star anise can be a good flavor enhancer for apple butter.
Star anise can be a good flavor enhancer for apple butter.

Great apple butter starts with great apples, but with so many different varieties to choose from, picking a type of apple can be a challenge. For a classic, sweet-tart flavor, consider using a slightly sour cooking apple such as Gravenstein or Granny Smith. For a slightly sweeter flavor profile, consider combining half tart apples with a half a sweeter variety, such as Winesap, Honeycrisp, or Macintosh. Regardless of the variety, choosing apples that are fresh, ripe, and at the peak of season will generally result in the best tasting apple butter.

Apples.
Apples.

While it is possible to make unsweetened apple butter, many recipes do call for at least a little additional sweetener. White and brown sugar are commonly used, but are by no means the only available choices. Alternative sweeteners, such as stevia or agave syrup, can be a good option for those who do not like regular sugar. Maple syrup is a delicious alternative that will add some richness to the final flavor. Some fruit juices, such as apple cider and white grape juice, can also add a little extra sweetness without dramatically increasing the sugar content.

Many people like to use tart Granny Smith apples in apple butter.
Many people like to use tart Granny Smith apples in apple butter.

Plain apple butter may be delicious, but once the basic process is mastered, experimenting with different additions can be fun. Consider making combination fruit butters, such as apple-fig or apple-persimmon. Test out a variety of spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, star anise, or allspice, for deeply aromatic blends. Cook a big batch of plain apple butter, then mix each jar with a different set of spices and additional fruits for a rainbow of options.

Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis

With a B.A. in theater from UCLA and a graduate degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Jessica is passionate about drama and film. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing about a wide range of topics in her role as a WiseGEEK writer.

Learn more...
Jessica Ellis
Jessica Ellis

With a B.A. in theater from UCLA and a graduate degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, Jessica is passionate about drama and film. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing about a wide range of topics in her role as a WiseGEEK writer.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Lostnfound

@Grivusangel -- I definitely prefer a less sweet apple butter. I can't stand any kind of fruit product that is too sweet. Have you ever had peach butter? It's delicious, too, and you make it a lot like you do apple butter.

I like a good dark apple butter that has a lot of depth. When you cook the apples down enough, I've found you need to add less sugar. The natural sugars in the apples come through. I really like apple butter on raisin toast. That's an ideal combination, to me. And there are a couple of restaurants that actually have it on the breakfast menu. Cracker Barrel also sells theirs and it's good.

Grivusangel

My mom has made apple butter, and to me, the most important thing is making sure it has enough spices in it. You spice apple butter like you would apple pie. She always used cinnamon, allspice and a pinch of ground cloves. We've never used a lot of nutmeg, so I don't use it, either.

A mix of tart and sweet apples does work best. I like to mix Granny Smiths and Fujis. I think that's a perfect combination. You need to choose apples that will break down completely into the pulp you need for the butter. And don't use too much sugar, or you won't be able to taste the apples!

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    • Star anise can be a good flavor enhancer for apple butter.
      Star anise can be a good flavor enhancer for apple butter.
    • Apples.
      By: Pixelbliss
      Apples.
    • Many people like to use tart Granny Smith apples in apple butter.
      By: xiangdong Li
      Many people like to use tart Granny Smith apples in apple butter.
    • A Honeycrisp apple.
      By: robert lerich
      A Honeycrisp apple.
    • Sterilize jars as an extra measure of safety by soaking them in boiling water.
      By: Jeff Wilson
      Sterilize jars as an extra measure of safety by soaking them in boiling water.
    • A jar lifter may be used to remove sterilized jars from a boiling water canner.
      By: US CPSC
      A jar lifter may be used to remove sterilized jars from a boiling water canner.