There is something soothing about making apple butter on a rainy fall day. The scent unobtrusively fills the house and is almost as yummy as the first bite spread on a thick slab of homemade bread. And this recipe is just a bit more grown-up than the apple butter of my childhood. As long as the apples are of a soft variety? Feel free to mix them. A perfect way to put all of your treasures foraged from local orchards to use.
I prefer to use my stove and a heavy Dutch oven, but I’ll provide an alternative option at the end for using a slow cooker, should you prefer. The stovetop method does require a bit of attention, but this warm, spicy treat is well-deserving of it. As perfect on toast as it is on a grilled cheese sandwich or served alongside a sharp cheddar or wheel of creamy brie.
Apple Butter with Cognac & Cardamom
Ingredients (Yields 12, 4oz. Ball jars)
6 lbs. cored apples, chopped (1 in. pieces) with skin on. (Golden Delicious, Fuji, Cortland, McIntosh, and Jonagold are all great options).
1/2 c. Cognac
1 cup light brown sugar (you may prefer less; I always start with 1/2 c. and add as/if needed.)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
- Place all cored, cut apples into a large Dutch oven. I leave the skin on, but as the kids say, you do you. Just be certain to omit cores & seeds.
- Add 2-3 cups water and Cognac. (I typically add 2c. of the water at this stage then the final 1 c. as I go, assessing the liquid content of the mixture over the total cooking period, keeping in mind the goal is ultimately a thick, jammy consistency.)
- Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until apples soften completely and begin to fall apart. About 30-45 min.
- Run mixture through a food processor fitted with a metal blade. I prefer my apple butter to have a bit of texture. Make yours as smooth as you wish. (If you have an immersion blender that can do the job directly in the Dutch oven? You’re upland kitchen is better equipped than mine.)
- Return puréed mixture to Dutch oven and stir in brown sugar, lemon juice, cardamom, nutmeg, and a pinch of fine salt. Add cinnamon sticks.
- Simmer, covered over low heat, stirring every 15 min to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pot. This process can take a while; my last batch took approximately 4 1/2 hours. You’ll want the mixture to take on a beautiful, deep caramel color near the end.
- Once the apple butter has reached the color and consistency you prefer? Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Et voila! C’est complit.
- If canning, follow America’s Test Kitchen’s instructions for the boil-seal method, which is a cinch! This batch will fill 12, 4 0z Ball jars that will keep beautifully in your pantry for up to a year. Feel free to use larger jars if you prefer. If not canning, this will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks in an air-tight container.
- Note: This can be made in a slow-cooker, but requires 10 hours of initial cooking time + 2 hours of a final, uncovered cook. Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 10 hours. Purée. Continue cooking another 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla once cooking cycle is complete.
