Receta Apple Butter (No Sugar Added)
One of the things I love about Poland is the very fresh fruit and veg. The cities are surrounded by farm land, and so many people grow their own produce in home gardens. Recently, I was the lucky recipient of a huge bag of apples, straight from the tree. Our neighbors were back in their home village for a wedding and brought back apples from her father's tree. That's another thing typical of Poland, everyone in the city grew up in a village. OK, there are probably some natives of Poznan, we just haven't met them yet.
Among other things, I wanted to make apple butter with these apples. I remember my friend Carla making applesauce in a crock-pot and saying that she'd done it without adding sugar. That's what I wanted to try. Since there are just two of us, I made a small batch. You could certainly make it larger - figure on about 1/2 cup of apple butter for each apple you're using.
Now, I have an urge to bake bread!
Ingredients
- 4 apples
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider vinegar would be ideal, I used red wine)
- 1 scant tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 - 3 grates of fresh ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Directions
Quarter and core the apples, leaving the peel on
Dice in 1-inch cubes
Add the apples to a crock-pot or saucepan
Add remaining ingredients, stir
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low-low (I did mine overnight)
Cook for 10 to 12 hours
Cool, process in blender, food processor, or with immersion blender
Transfer to sealed containers, will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks
Since I know nothing about home canning, I'm keeping mine in the freezer for longer shelf life