Spiced Apple Butter Cloves (Print version)

Smooth apple spread with warming spices and cloves, perfect for toast or oatmeal enhancements.

# What you need:

→ Fruit

01 - 3 lbs apples (Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and chopped

→ Sweetener

02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

→ Liquids

04 - 1/2 cup apple cider or water

→ Spices

05 - 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 tsp ground cloves
07 - 1/2 tsp ground allspice
08 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 tsp salt

→ Acid

10 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Place apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and apple cider or water into a large heavy-bottomed pot; stir until evenly mixed.
02 - Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until apples break down and soften, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
03 - Remove pot from heat; blend with an immersion blender or transfer in batches to a blender until completely smooth.
04 - Return puree to the pot; add cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice; stir thoroughly.
05 - Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until mixture thickens and develops deep brown color, about 1.5 hours; mixture should mound on a spoon without flowing off easily.
06 - Taste and modify spice levels or sweetness as preferred.
07 - Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to sterilized jars; refrigerate up to 3 weeks or process in a water bath for extended shelf life.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It turns ordinary apples into something that tastes like you spent all day in a farmhouse kitchen, even though it mostly just simmers on its own.
  • The cloves give it a warmth that sneaks up on you, the kind that makes you want another spoonful straight from the jar.
  • It keeps for weeks in the fridge and makes breakfast feel special without any effort.
02 -
  • Stir it more often than you think you need to, especially in the last half hour, or it will scorch on the bottom and ruin the whole batch.
  • The apple butter thickens as it cools, so don't panic if it looks a little loose in the pot, it'll set up beautifully once it's cold.
03 -
  • Use the ripest apples you can find, they break down faster and taste sweeter without needing extra sugar.
  • If you double the batch, don't double the spices all the way, start with one and a half times and taste as you go, spices get stronger in larger quantities.

Return