INGREDIENTS
70 oz. (about 4-1/3 lbs.) gala apples
1-1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup dark brown sugar (spooned, not packed)
1/2 of an orange
1/2 of a lemon
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg

METHOD
1. Thoroughly wash and inspect apples. Core, quarter and half quarters and place in crockpot. Fill until heaping and lid just closes. A 5-quart crockpot will hold about 4-1/3 lbs. of apples.

2. Pour apple cider over apples. Cover and cook on high approximately 3 hours. Stir every hour or so with a wooden spoon until apples become extremely soft and are easily smashed by the spoon.

3. Press the hot apples through a sieve with a rubber scraper or a food mill to puree and remove skins. Return applesauce-like mixture to the crockpot and discard skins.

4. In a small bowl grate some peel of the lemon and orange and ream some juice (a tablespoon or less) from each through a strainer and add to crockpot. Add spices and sugar. Stir well, cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Remove lid, stir well, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and dark, about 4 more hours. Apple butter is done when a small dollop spooned onto a plate does not produce a puddle of liquid around the butter.

5. Follow your mason jar manufacturer’s instructions for canning fruit preserves and jellies. Spoon the hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint mason jars, leaving 1/4″ headroom, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

6. Remove jars and allow to rest on a cooling rack for 24 hours. Check seal, remove bands and store in a dark, cool place. Processed and properly sealed jars will last a year or longer. Jars that did not seal properly can be kept in the refrigerator for about six weeks.

* Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general guide.

Yield: five half pints
Serving: 1 TBS (21 cal, 0 gr fat, 0 gr protein, 5 gr carbs)

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