After swinging by the UES to pick up our beloved Aunt Sheri on Saturday morning, our family headed out to Rockland County to meet some friends. We had a date to go apple-picking at The Orchards of Conklin, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the City.
The Delicious Daddio, my husband that is, did the major workload as he held up the big claw pole (unofficial name) and pulled down at least 30 of the 35 pounds of apples we took home with us. My daughter and her friends hunted for the few apples hidden on the lower branches while my son ran quality control, tasting to make sure that the apples from each tree were up to snuff. The children had an amazing time, and if you can squeeze it in over the next couple of weekends, we highly recommend a little jaunt out of New York City, or where ever you live, to pick apples and climb trees.
For the past month, we’ve been apple slacks, ignoring them almost entirely. In my inbox sat a whole slew of emails from family members and friends inquiring as to a good recipe for apple butter. Oh, yeah yeah, I’ll post about it tomorrow I kept replying…now, toward the end of the season, we’ve finally gotten our act together.
Here is my trio of apple butter recipes, ready to use up all the many many apples with which you’re currently co-habiting. This trio includes: Seckle Pear, Cardamom, and Original. The grown-up chef will be doing quite a lot here since it’s made on the stovetop, so make sure that you kick it while the rest of the family is doing the hunting and gathering. After the actual apple picking is done, please let your children help weigh out the apples and assemble and measure the ingredients with you before you turn on the stove.
Original Apple Butter
*3 lbs. apples, peeled cored and cut into large slices
*2 c. apple cider
*1 T. lemon juice
*a couple of two-inch strips of lemon zest from an organic lemon
*1 c. brown sugar
*1/2 c. sugar
*1/2 t. salt
*1 T. ground cinnamon
*1 t. nutmeg
*10 pieces of candied ginger
In a large, covered stock pot over medium-high heat, cook the apples with the cider for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook 2-4 hours, partially covered, stirring occasionally until the mixture moves past the apple sauce phase and into the butter phase. It should be thick enough to spread.
Spoon out the lemon zest and discard. Puree the butter till smooth. Follow canning instructions here.
Seckle Pear Apple Butter
*2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into large slices
*1 lb. seckle pears (or other delicious varieties)
*1 1/2 c. apple cider
*1 T. lemon juice
*a two-inch strip of lemon zest from an organic lemon
*1 c. brown sugar
*1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
*pinch of cloves
*a star anise
*a pinch of salt
Follow the instructions for the Original Apple Butter (above), making sure to also take out the star anise with the lemon zest. This time, instead of pureeing, just mash the mixture with the back of a spoon till there are small chunks but no gigantic pieces.
Cardamom Apple Butter
*3 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large slices
*1 c. apple cider
*1 T. lemon juice
*1 T. ground cardamom
*1 t. ground cinnamon
*1/8 t. nutmeg
*1 c. brown sugar
*1/2 t. salt
Follow the directions for Original Apple Butter, except you’ll have no lemon zest to toss before pureeing.
****Do not reduce either the lemon juice or the sugar if you’re canning these.
****Please follow the instructions for canning provided in this link.
13/10/2008 at 5:35 pm Permalink
Yum! thank you for sharing those delicious recipes! I will try them out.
ofifteen
‘designing your life’
http://ofifteenblog.blogspot.com
13/10/2008 at 8:16 pm Permalink
a few questions cate
what variety of apple is best to use? also, how much does one recipe make? thanks–am definitely making the cardamom one!!!
14/10/2008 at 12:24 am Permalink
well, we picked macouns on saturday because that was what was available at that particular orchard. if i was choosing at the market, though, i might have picked a favourite sweet and a favorite tart baking apple for more flavor layering. each recipe(3lbs) of fruit makes about 32 oz, or 2 pints.
also, check back here in a couple of days because i’m planning on creating some sort of tea cake with the cardamom apple butter, my favorite.
14/10/2008 at 3:15 am Permalink
I have a ton of apples I need to use so this will be so much fun! Thank you for coming by my blog for brownie week. Come back again soon!
14/10/2008 at 4:17 am Permalink
Cardamom?! LOVE IT!
14/10/2008 at 6:26 pm Permalink
Apple Butter! Yummy! I have been looking for the recipe for my friend. Will get her to check out your blog too. Thanks:)
15/10/2008 at 4:25 pm Permalink
These look great – I think I’ll try one!
16/10/2008 at 5:34 am Permalink
hooray! I love cardamom, too! but I have never in my life canned something, or seen it done. Can I just stick it in freezer bags or mini tupperwares and freeze it until I’m ready to use it?
16/10/2008 at 11:40 am Permalink
of course you can bag it and put it in your freezer, :d. sadly, we just don’t have enough freezer space in new york city freezers, so canning works better for us and for giving some away to friends.
but, seriously? canning is so easy. my husband always watches me in fascination when the canning begins. there’s really little fuss behind all that mystique.
16/10/2008 at 4:42 pm Permalink
well, that’s comforting. It seems to require some sort of machine and everything… I’m just a beginning chef, and I live alone so I have lots of freezer space.
All in good time! thanks much! (Also–you can thank the lovely Ashley Wilson for sending me and others your way! I certainly did!)