Caramel Apple Butter: a recipe from: Homegrown & Handmade

I just finished reading the book: homegrown & handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living.

You can find it here on the Mother Earth News website for $22.95, although I just got it from my local library.

It was informative, though nothing I hadn't seen before. I wish the pictures had been more detailed and in color.

If you're looking for a place to begin your road to more sustainable living, this is a good venue. Although my favorite place to begin is John Seymour's The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It.

One thing I did get from Nieman's book was a recipe for Caramel Apple Butter (doesn't that sound delicious?) Here is the recipe:

(makes 6 half-pints)
8 pounds apples
1 cup water
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamin
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash apples. Peel, core, and slice them. Put the apples and water into a slow-cooker on medium. Cover and cook until soft. Mash with a potato masher (Or blender if you like is smoother).

Put 2 cups of sugar into a smal saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring contantly until it begins to melt and turn brown. Watch carefully because this conversion happens quickly.  Immediately take off heat. Pour onto apples and stir.

Add the remaining sugar and cinamon to apples and stir. You can add less sugar to taste. Keep cooking with cover off until it can be spooned up and not dribble off the spoon. At this point add the lemon juice. Stir.

You can now process your Caramel Apple Butter using the water bath method to preserve it for up to 12 months.

How to Can Your Apple Butter
Heat water to boiling in a large stock pot. Make sure there will be at least 2 inches of water above the jars. Also you're supposed to have a rack for the jars to be placed on so the water can freely circulate. (I just use a time cooling rack for cookies. Find something that fits that won't make your jars wobble or fall over.) Sterilize your jars and bands in the hot water. In a small pot heat water to low simmer and put the lids in. Do not boil your lids or they won't seal right.

Add your apple butter to your jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wip the jar rims to remove any spilled butter. Put the lids on then loosely screw on the bands. The bands should be "finger-tip tight."

Place your jars into the water and process your jars for 10 minutes. (At altitude: 1000-3000 ft above sea level add 5 minutes; 3000-6000 ft add 10; 8000-1000 add 20)

Enjoy!

***Last October I stored away a bunch of apples that I picked from a neighbor's tree. I haven't checked my last box yet for spoilage but if they're still good I'm going to make the butter this weekend. Hopefully I'll have an update for you then!!

Craving Chocolate Leads to Impromtu Baking Session

Yesterday evening I just had to have some chocolate. Tragedy struck in the kitchen where I discovered that I had not replenished my stock of dark chocolate squares! (I usually go for these Endangered Species 88% cocoa bites)

My fiance enjoys brownies so I thought I'd make a batch. I checked up on some recipes online but ultimately scrounged from what I had in the kitchen.  Here's was I came up with:

1 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup salted butter, partially melted/softened
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup 2% milk
3/4 cup flour

Preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a smallish glass baking dish with your butter wrapper. I used a 9"x13" but maybe you like thicker brownies.

Cream butter and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Pour batter into the pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the middle is set.

*I live at altitude. If you don't you'll want to add 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder for a little lift.

 

It was a pretty tasty little thing but if you're a real chocolate lover, you may want to add some chocolate chips in the batter or on top or melt some chocolate and add to the batter. I'll be doing both next time and I'll let you know how it goes!

 

Happy Baking!