The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John of Eat4Fun. John chose to challenge The Daring Cooks to learn about food preservation, mainly in the form of canning and freezing. He challenged everyone to make a recipe and preserve it. John’s source for food preservation information was from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.
This was my first month as a Daring Cooking, and I have to say that I am glad I joined. The purpose of me finally biting the bullet and joining the masses of other food blogging cooks to the Daring Kitchen was to be inspired to cook things I wouldn’t normally think to make. Apple butter is definitely one of those things.
Where I grew up, we didn’t have apples growing around us. It doesn’t really get cold enough in Louisiana for those sweet domesticated varieties to grow, and if you’ve ever tasted a crab-apple, well … No amount of sugar (in my opinion) can help those tart little buggers out. So, to say the least, I didn’t experience much apple butter during my childhood.
But this experience was a good one. I was surprised to find out just how easy water bath canning really is and I am now looking forward to next year’s harvesting of my garden to give canning a go.
For my apple butter, I decided to change things up a little bit from the original recipe given. The great thing about apple butter, however, is that it is FLEXIBLE. Play with it. Have fun. For Monsieur B and me, I decided to use half Granny Smith apples and half Bartlett pears, sweetening the butter with agave nectar and honey instead of sugar, and using cardamom and ginger as my primary spices with only a mere touch of cinnamon. It was a hit, and my co-workers were very sad that I didn’t have enough jars to give away.
This was something that brought back some childhood memories for Monsieur B, who grew up in the Northeast US. It was good enough that I think pear and apple butter may have to become a yearly tradition for us.
Pear and Apple Butter
- Approximately 5–6 lbs. of apples and pears (this came to about 9 pears and 5 apples for me): peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
- 1 c. water
- 1/4 c. honey
- 1/4 c. agave nectar
- 1 Tbs. cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
In a large pot, mix together the apples, pears and water. Cook slowly on medium-low to medium heat until the fruit is soft and falling apart, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Using an immersion blender (being careful not to splatter fruit everywhere), blend fruit into desired consistency. I like mine smooth, so I left absolutely no chunks. Add in the honey, agave nectar, and spices. Taste and adjust as necessary.
Bring to a simmer over low heat, making sure to continue stirring every so often to prevent burning and sticking at the bottom of the pot. It is helpful during this period to use either a splatter screen or two wooden spoons laid across the top of the post to rest the lid on to keep the butter for splattering all over your kitchen. Believe me, it likes to give the occasional *POP* and you don’t want that on your cabinets!
Sit down and get a good book, because now starts the long part. It took me about 5 hours to get my apple butter to a nice, deep, dark, caramelised brown. Essentially, you want the apple butter to hold its shape and, when placing a small mound onto a plate, not run or have a liquid ring around it. Patience is really key here! Apple butter is a nice example of a slow food!
Once your apple butter has reached a nice, dark brown colour, you can process it as desired. It can be frozen or canned, which extends its shelf life up to a year. If you opt to do neither, you should store your apple butter in the refrigerator and eat it within a week. I suggest giving water bath canning a go, however, since it is very easy. John of Eat4Fun made a wonderful post about the proper procedures to take which I think you will find very helpful.