Apple Butter
Recipe Courtesy Gourmet Magazine

This butter is lovely spread on toast and exquisite on vanilla ice cream

Note: This should be cooked down further than applesauce is; it will take hours over very low heat and take on a rich dark color. You can leave the skins on apples to make apple butter, as the peels add thickness, flavor, and color, and are typically blended in. Ensure the apples are cooked until very soft before blending to make the process easier and more effective.

6 pounds Granny Smith or other tart apples, unpeeled, cored, and sliced
2 1/2 cups apple cider
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 strips of lemon zest, each 2 1/2 inches long
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan cook the apples in the apple cider over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Puree them through the medium disk of a food mill into another saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. [Or use a blender to fully incorporate the skins into the apple mixture.]

Cook the mixture over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until very thick. Discard the lemon zest and spoon the mixture into 2 sterilized 1-pint Mason-type jars, filling them to within 1/2-inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a dampened cloth and seal the jars with the lids.

Put the jars in a water bath canner or a rack in a deep kettle and add enough water to cover the jars by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and process, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer the jars with canning tongs to a rack and let them cool. Let the apple butter mellow in a cool, dark place for at least 1 week.

Yield: 2 1-pint jars