Reduced Sugar Spiced Apple Butter Recipes

Steps:

• Place apples in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours.
• Stir butter-flavored syrup, honey, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and molasses into the apple mixture; mash apples with a potato masher or fork.
• Reduce heat to Low, cover, and continue cooking apple mixture until thickened and dark brown, 9 to 11 hours, whisking frequently. Remove cover and cook for 1 to 2 more hours.

Steps:

• 1. Cut McIntosh apples into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Cut Granny Smith apples into smaller dice.
• 2. Combine apples and cider in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently for 20 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half.
• 3. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Return to a boil, reduce heat, and boil gently for about 25 minutes or until mixture is very thick. There should still be some tender apple chunks remaining. Remove from heat.
• 4. Ladle into sterilized jars and process as directed for Shorter Time Processing Procedure .
• Variation: Spiced Apple Butter
• Add 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each ground cloves and allspice with the sugar.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the apples, apple cider, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until mixture reaches a thick, spreadable consistency, stirring often., Remove from the heat. Stir in raisins and lemon zest. Cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Prep apples as directed, combine in slow cooker with apple juice (or cider), brown sugar and spices, cook overnight and into the next day if you can, stirring occasionally - 18 hours or so is optimal. You want the mixture to reduce down significantly. Once the apples are to more or less applesauce consistency, apply an immersion blender to puree the mixture to a velvety texture or put it through a food mill. Once the liquid no longer separates quickly after it's stirred, it's ready to jar up and process. Pour into sterilized jars, process in hot water bath for 10-15 minutes.