I am a big fan of going naked…
With my food, of course!
There are so many sweeteners added to all kinds of foods, most of which would be great without any additional sugar. If there is a way to make a “naked” version of my favorite foods, chances are good that I am going to try it. I love to strip it all down to the basics and let mother nature add her own sweetness.
That is exactly what I did with my naked apple butter.
When I started looking around for recipes, I noticed that most called for anywhere from 1 to 4 cups of sugar! 4 cups?! I can’t even wrap my brain around that! The trick is to simply use a mixture of both sweet and tart apples and to let the natural sweetness do the work.
For my apple butter, I used a combination of Granny Smiths, Fuji, Gala and Honeycrisp apples. Aren’t they beautiful? I just love apples!
- 12 medium apples, multiple varieties
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup honey
- Core and cut all of the apples into eight sections, leaving the skin on (it breaks down and has lots of nutritional value!).
- Add all ingredients to a large stock pot and stir well.
- Cover and cook on medium for 45 minutes, remove the lid, then use a spoon to mash the apples as much as possible.
- With the lid off, cook for an additional hour, stirring well every ten minutes or so.
- If it is thick enough for your liking, remove from heat and let cool slightly. If you prefer it to be thicker, keep cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
- Pour mixture into blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for one week or in the freezer for several months.
It is astounding to me just how quickly my kids are gobbling up this apple butter! At this rate we will be making more very soon. Luckily it is easy enough that my oldest daughter can help out.
What do you like to pair apple butter with? I’d love to hear your suggestions so that we can give it a shot!
Speak Your Mind