The following “Chew This!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information and dates
Taste Testing the Hoosier Tradition of Homemade Apple Butter
Blaise Doubman
To me, the Fall tradition of making apple butter is as much of a homegrown Hoosier experience as the Indy 500 in the Spring or college basketball in the Winter. We all know someone who has an apple tree in their backyard with more apples than they know what to do with and making apple butter is the perfect way to turn those apples into something that is delicious and shareable at the same time. The origins of apple butter date back to Germany and Belgium during the Middle Ages. Historians say the the process of making apple butter was likely brought to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch after the Revolutionary War and was used as a way to preserve their apples for consumption when food options decreased in the colder, winter months. Today, we make it because it is fun, easy and tastes great, especially when spread on toast or a hot biscuit.Yum! My personal favorite apple butter is made and served at a restaurant called, The Nashville House, located on Van Buren Street in the heart of Nashville, Indiana. If you have ever made the trip down to Brown County, especially in the Fall when the turning leaves are as beautiful as a Bob Ross painting, then you have probably eaten at The Nashville House. Their apple butter is delicious and served with a basket of their signature fried biscuits with every meal. I have never tasted an apple butter that I liked better, but then again, maybe it is those cinnamon-sugar coated fried biscuits that really puts it over the top. Their apple butter is also available for purchase in their country store or on their website where you can have it shipped to your home.A common misconception about apple butter comes from the word, “butter”, and many would be surprised to know that there is actually no butter in it at all! The word butter simply describes the creamy, spreadable consistency and smooth texture. There are actually very few ingredients in apple butter, which generally speaking are, apples, sugar and a mix of various spices, depending on the recipe. I have even seen a YouTube video of the process to make “one ingredient apple butter” where the cook makes what she calls a “proper” apple butter by simply cooking down apples, stirring occasionally until they are the desired dark color and smooth consistency.
There are several methods for cooking apple butter including stove top, slow cooker, and even in the oven. In any of these techniques, the common factor is time and patience. I personally prefer the slow cooker style as it does not require as much attention and is a little lighter on the energy bill. If you have never made apple butter before, the first thing to understand is that it is a slow reduction process. The relationship between apple butter and apple sauce is the same as tomato paste and tomato sauce. This means that if you start with raw apples, before you get to the finished product, you are going to make apple sauce along the way. There are even recipes to make apple butter starting with canned, store bought apple sauce but I am not sure why anyone would want to do that, when you could instead, simply buy store bought apple butter. In all methods, the process starts with cooking the cored apples until they are soft enough to chop into small pieces. This can be done with a food processor or blender or even by hand with a knife if necessary. Then sugar and spices are added and the slow cook begins. Some versions of this process are 8 to 10 hours long so it is best to make apple butter when you have the whole day to work with it with something else to do while it slowly simmers away. Once it is cooking, it needs to be stirred appropriately every 30-45 minutes to get the desired consistency and to prevent burning on the bottom. Some old time recipes even say to put pennies in the bottom of the pot to help prevent scorching but I would not recommend it as I believe advances in modern non stick cookware make it a little easier. As the apples reduce, each time it is stirred, you will see the dark color and smooth consistency taking shape as the sugar caramelizes and the natural pectin in the apples begins to thicken the mix. Once it has reached the desired smooth consistency and dark color, it is ready to be enjoyed fresh or canned for future use. Without canning, homemade apple butter will be good for use when refrigerated for up to six months.
I have recently been given four different jars of apple butter by different friends and family so I decided it would be fun to conduct a blind taste test. Since neither the cooks or the friends who tasted knew that it was for this article I will not mention their names but will share the results which were unanimous. #1 Was a stove top method and had an excellent taste and color but the consistency was a little too chunky. It will still be great served on a biscuit and definitely will not go to waste but the apples probably should have been chopped a little more. #2 Was a slow cooker method that also had an excellent taste and color with the perfect consistency. It was easy to spread and still great to eat by the spoonful. #3 Was another stove top method. It tasted delicious but was not cooked long enough. The color was light and it had the consistency and taste of apple sauce. The good news is, I love applesauce and have been enjoying it paired with grilled pork chops. #4 Was store bought from Rural King. While the color and consistency were spot on, the taste was undesirable. It was over spiced, leaving a chemical type aftertaste. I am not sure what it costs, but if I was going to purchase apple butter rather than making it, I would gladly spend the extra money and have it shipped from The Nashville House.
Since #2 was the clear winner with all taste testers, I would like to share the recipe for that particular version of this locally made classic. Enjoy!
The Best Homemade Apple Butter
Apple butter can be refrigerated for up to a month, frozen for up to three months and canned properly, will last for years. I like keeping my sealed cans in a dark and cool environment.
10 cups cooked apples
8 cups white granulated sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground clove
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup red hot candies are optional
Start by coring and cooking the apples in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat. Stir the apples around every 30 minutes or so and between stirrings, leave on the lid.
You will know when the apples are cooked because they will look soft and smell sweet. Even if you get this stage wrong, you can add cook time to the end of this recipe. Usually it takes about an hour or so to initially cook down the prepared apples at the start.
Once cooked throughly, run them through a colander and place back into the same pot.
Add in the white granulated sugar, the apple cider vinegar ground cinnamon, ground clove and ground nutmeg. Be sure to stir everything together to make sure it is well mixed.
Adjust the heat and cook over a low to medium heat. stirring often. This process is where the apples turn dark brown and the flavor really starts developing itself. It would be at this stage that you would add the red hot candies if you were going to use them. Continuing stirring and melting down the candies, if using, until the apple butter is thick and dark brown.
You can also use this same method in a slow cooker. Set it on low and continue to cook.
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