When Vera Zackuse of Marysville asked if anyone could share a recipe for oven-baked apple butter, three readers immediately fired off their favorite versions of this classic old-timer.
Bothell cook Cathie Relf shares a recipe that makes a small batch and tells us, “This really turns out quite yummy!”
Next, we have a medium-size batch, which comes to us courtesy of Diane Sheridan of Everett. She notes it’s taken from Country Living Magazine and says, “I’ve made this several times and it turns out great!”
For a large batch, we can rely on this longtime favorite of Arlington cook Nola Taylor. “Here is a wonderful apple butter recipe for the oven,” she writes. I got it in the 1960s from a special Kenmore neighbor, Virginia Underwood. Try it; it’s superb.”
9-10apples
1cup apple cider
2teaspoons apple pie spice or 1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg and allspice plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Peel and core apples, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in large saucepan and pour cider over them. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes or until apples are soft. Remove pan from heat and cool the mixture until it is only warm to the touch. Divide it into two batches and puree each in the bowl of food processor or blender. Pour all of the pureed fruit into a large baking dish, sprinkle with the spices and stir well. Spread out the mixture evenly in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 to 3 hours or until your apple butter is deep brown and thick. Stir every 20 minutes. Cool the butter, then put into a clean jar with a sealable lid. It will keep for up to 2 months in your refrigerator. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
6pounds cooking apples
1cup water
21/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2cup brown sugar
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
1teaspoon ground nutmeg
2tablespoons lemon juice
Peel, core and slice apples in eighths; place in large, heavy saucepan and add water. Cover tightly and cook 5 minutes over moderate heat. Stir and add a little more water if pot appears dry. Uncover pot and continue cooking until apples are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cooked apple mixture with remaining ingredients in a large, deep, heatproof baking dish. Bake 3 to 4 hours until thick and dark, stirring occasionally. A spoonful of the cooked butter should have almost no liquid surrounding it when done. Apple butter keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. To can: Ladle apple butter into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims. Add lids and process in boiling-water bath 5 minutes. Makes 4 pints.
Virginia and Nola’s oven-baked apple butter
Apples
2cups (or less) water
Sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice
Peel, core and slice enough apples to fill an 8-quart Dutch oven. Add water. Cook down, then run through a food mill or food processor. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure into an open roaster (think turkey roaster here) 2 quarts of the apple pulp, 4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. Repeat this measuring process with the pulp, sugar and spices until the roaster is full. Stir it all together and bake until it heaps in a spoon. It took 31/2 hours in my roaster – but this could vary. Stir occasionally. When done, remove roaster from oven and allow apple butter to cool. Ladle into suitable containers and freeze.
SOS: Speaking of apples, Snohomish cook and frequent Forum helper-outer Michael K. has a recipe for pickled crabapples she’d really like to make, if someone can help her convert the spices from whole to ground.
“I am hoping that I can use ground spices,” she says, “instead of the whole spices that are called for in the recipe (as that is what I have on hand), wrapped securely in a coffee filter. My question to your readers is how much ground spices should I use in place of the whole spices? The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon whole cloves, 2 sticks cinnamon and 1 tablespoon whole allspice.”
If you can help, please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. We are always happy to receive your contributions and requests. Please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.
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