Making apple butter

Well, this year I cheated and used applesauce. Ok, since I couldn't fund unsweetened applesauce, I used normal applesauce and only about half a cup of sugar. (to 2-3 liters of applesauce). Now, it's been in the crockpot for over a day, not far from being done, but I'm afraid I may not have put in enough sugar to "caramelize" properly, and it does taste a bit tangy.

Anyone have any suggestions? I know I can adjust the spices, but I think it may be too late in the game to add sugar. One internet recipe calls for honey, but I've never tried that.

Don Rina or any other talented and perhaps trained cooks have any tips? Thanks

It is never to late to add sugar or even better inverted syrup. You will have to continue cooking it though.

I'm confused by the title - is this a thread about Apfelmus? I've made garlic butter before, but apple butter..?

The name is a misnomer, she's not talking about actual butter. It's more of a thick, highly concentrated apple mush which comes from boiling down apples and sugar. I guess you could call it apple jam as well.

Its more like a spreadable apple marmalade. I just made some "plum butter" this summer.

Note: You could also add some gelatin sugar, but be careful as you don't want jelly.

Yep, apple butter. I love the stuff.

DDBug- how much sugar does regular apple sauce have in it? My crock pot cookbook has 5 recipes for apple butter and they all recommend 2-3 cups of sugar for 3-4 quarts of chopped apples. Also, I kinda wonder if using applesauce will even work, especially in a slow cooker. The natural sugars, etc. cook out to make the apple sauce...I don't know using already "cooked" applesauce will "carmelize" again just by adding a bit more sugar.

Let me know how it turns out!

So is it Apfelmus like I said? Or something different.

Don't know what Apfelmus is. What does it look like?

Apfelmus, aka applesauce
Apple butter

Apfelmus is different to apple sauce though, at least the apple sauce I know from the North of England. Anyway, whatever, no I don't have a recipe for 'apple butter' then

Hm, inverted sugar ? (*remember to google that) - Ok, I will try a bit more sugar, it is thickening up quite nicely - I think it may be ready in the morning! Yumm yummm!

Apple butter is nothing like jam or jelly really, it's very spreadable and more brown, not as creamy as peanut butter though.

Wahoo - yeah - I was a bit suspicious of the crock pot thing, but I really wanted some and don't have the time or energy this year to start from scratch. There are a lot of internet recipies out there with applesauce and crockpots, but they all call for unsweetened applesauce, and I couldn't find any yesterday.

Well, it's tart, it's tangy, the cinni, cinemon, cinnimon Zimt taste is slightly more there than last year, but not overbearing.



Here it is - home made apple butter on homemade bread. Yum Yum.

Apple puree.

YUMMM. I am so glad to hear it turned out!!

DDBug, that looks so good. I had no idea that is how it's made.

I love apple butter. Reminds me of harvest time in Canada!

what about lemon butter? anyone got a simple recipe on how to make that? remember my gran used to make it and it was LUSH!