HOMECOOKINGCHRONICLES
Fresh from the tree
Homemade apple butter recipe
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
Brian Medford’s homemade apple butter, served on slices of toast.
My friend, Deb, called last week to
inform me that the apples on her apple tree
weren’t going to pick themselves. So, I went
to pick apples.
It’s a sign that summer is waning, and
fall’s chill-in-the air arrival is imminent. Fall
is my season. I can highlight my cardigan
collection and my love of warming fall fl a-
vors. Essentially, fall is when I shine.
Deb’s apple tree is grafted and produces
to two apple varieties. I think they’re Jona-
than and Honeycrisp. If that’s wrong, they’re
still delicious.
There is a joy in methodically selecting an
apple on a branch and gently pulling it from
the tree. It feels calming and peaceful. Until
I hit my head on the low hanging branch that
Deb tied a red ribbon on months ago so I
could avoid it, but I still walked into it. Even
so I still say a quiet thank you for each har-
vested apple.
To celebrate fall’s arrival, some folks
crave a pumpkin-spiced something or other,
I crave apple butter. Apple butter is the jam
of cooked apples. The fl avors of caramelized
apples with spices can only be revealed with
time and patience.
As with peanut butter, there are two types
of apple butter people in the world: chunky
and creamy. I prefer chunky, which is the
consistency of thick apple sauce. If that’s
not the apple butter you remember, you can
puree the mixture until it’s velvety smooth .
For me, creamy apple butter means another
appliance to wash, so I’ll pass.
I use a slow cooker, which takes 8 to 10
hours on low heat to produce a concentrated,
amber-colored apple butter. I start the cooker
before bed and wake-up to fi nished apple
butter brilliance in the morning.
I store the apple butter in the fridge and
greedily devour it on toast, pancakes, as a
side for pork or just with a spoon. You may
also hot water bath can the apple butter to
preserve it for a year. It’s a Christmas gift we
all want.
Brian Medford is the owner of Idlewild
Biscuits and Bakes in Astoria. He teaches
cooking classes at The Pantry in Seattle.
Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.
Apple Butter
Yield: about 4 pints. The addition of apple cider vinegar may seem unexpected, but it gives the
apple butter a fresh and bright fl avor. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• 5 pounds peeled, cored and cut apples
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the prepared apples in a slow cooker. Add the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, sug-
ars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix well.
Cook on low heat for 8 hours, stir occasionally. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 hours if need-
ed to soften the apples.
Uncover and stir the apples until they transform into a thick, apple sauce texture. Stir in
the vanilla.
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Spoon the mixture into containers and refrigerate.