Perfecting apple butter: Winter's velvety spread delight
Velvety spreads made from seasonal fruits are often termed "butters," despite having little in common with traditional butter. What unites them is that they are equally delightful on challah, fresh rolls, toast, or biscuits. Fans of fruity flavours will be thoroughly satisfied.
The late autumn and winter seasons are excellent for apple preserves. These fruits are available at favourable prices, and their flavour is superb. It is the ideal time to transform them into jams, conserves, or purees. You can also prepare a delectable "apple butter," a very thick puree made from apples simmered for a long time with added butter. This results in a velvety texture.
Sweet or spicy
Apples cooked for an extended period create a thick, velvety mixture that can resemble butter. This quality makes them perfect for thick spreads. We typically prepare them with sweet additions like cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest. Apples can also be spicy by adding ginger, paprika, or nutmeg. In this spicy form, they are an excellent accompaniment to meat roasts, pairing well, for example, with pork tenderloin.
Apple "butter"
Ingredients:
- 3 kg of apples,
- 100 g sugar, preferably dark,
- 170 g butter,
- a teaspoon of cinnamon,
- a few cloves,
- 1 orange – grated zest.
Preparation method:
- Wash the apples, peel them, remove the cores, and cut them into small pieces.
- In a large pot, melt approximately 60 g of butter, then add the apples and sugar.
- Simmer everything over a low heat for about 2 hours. The fruits should break down, creating a smooth, thick mass with a slightly brown colour, a result of the caramelisation of the sugar and fruits.
- Near the end of simmering, add the spices and orange zest.
- Add the remaining butter to the mixture and blend together.
- Transfer into sterilised jars and pasteurise for 12–15 minutes.
