There used to be approved canning recipes for pumpkin butter but they were pulled several years ago. When further testing was done, the NCHFP came to realize the water level and pH of pumpkin varied so greatly there was no way to arrive at an assuredly safe processing time for BWB (which is what the recipe called for). Bernardin (the Canadian branch of Ball) retained a more acidified recipe, one with orange juice for a while, but then they pulled that one also. There just is no way to be assured what acidification would result in a safe product and, obviously, over-doing it on acid compromises the flavor as well. Nor can PB be pressure-canned as the same pH and water level issues apply plus it's a dense product that presents the same challenges as plain pumpkin puree, which is also no longer approved. So freezing or refrigeration is your best option. Squash and pumpkin keep well in cold storage and butter can be made in small batches as another alternative. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. Carol

I don't see a problem with your recipe in that the pickling syrup is undiluted vinegar and sugar. It's hard to get any safer than 100% vinegar; it doesn't matter what the vegetables are. How dry is this mixture when placed in the jars? Do you typically need to make more of the vinegar-sugar solution? The reason I'm asking is as a 100% vinegar-sugar syrup, as long as there's sufficient solution to cover the pickles and surround the individual slices (in other words there aren't pockets of dry pickle slices stacked in the jar), that should be fine. There is a problem with the method in that the pickles need to be heated for a longer period and heat processed. If you're concerned about softening as a result, then pickle crisp can be added to compensate. So I'd use your recipe with confidence, making additional syrup as needed, and follow the NCHFP instructions for heating and processing. Carol

It's probably a quite old recipe... they used to put in a lot of water and cook it a very long time. Annie uses her grandmothers recipe (cooks it in the oven) but she cuts the water her grandmother used waaay down just so it will not take so long to cook down. This is her recipe GRANDMA'S -APPLE BUTTER 6 lbs. 1-2 quarts sweet cider (Grandma used 2, I use 1 because I can cook a shorter time. Grandma thought longer was better) 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves Cook the apples in the cider and press through a food mill or sieve. Mix in sugar and spices to taste. Pour pulp into a non-reactive pan (I use an old enameled roaster) and bake at 250, stirring every hour or so, until "thick enough". If I'm in a hurry, I start at 350, then turn it down after a couple of hours. I usually double or triple the amount, so mine takes a long time to cook down. This amount will still take several hours When it's "thick enough", pour into hot jars and BWB 10 minutes for half pints or pints, 15 minutes for quarts I'd say yours is okay to BWB. kay

My grandmother use to make Apple Butter and Annie was kind enough to share her recipe for Apple butter last year. I had planned to use some of the apples off our two apple trees but never got around too it. Maybe this year. But like you Cindy, I've never had apple butter in a cake. But I have had apple butter cakes. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Apple Butter ============ Apple Butter recipe Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 3, 06 at 1:22 This recipe is Grandma's and I won a blue ribbon the year I was 12 at the county fair using this recipe. Dad was prouder of that ribbon than he was when I finished college, I think. LOL I did change this recipe in one way. I bake it in the oven instead of standing at the stove stirring a boiling pot of apple butter. I can go do other things and I don't get all those little burns on my arm from the volcanos of boiling apple butter. I bake it in a big non-reactive roaster at about 250F. This takes 8-10 hours but the house will smell sooooo good. Stir it about once an hour. I've baked it hotter, but you have to be very careful that it doesn't overcook and taste caramelized. If you want it more quickly, turn it up to 350 for the first couple of hours, until the pulp starts to thicken, then turn it down to finish but watch it carefully. You can also do this in a crockpot, but again, watch carefully. Today's crockpots will overcook it quickly and you'll get that caramelized flavor. Grandma Powell's Apple Butter 6 lbs apples quartered (about 12 apples, I use MacIntosh) 2 quarts sweet apple cider 2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves Simmer apples in cider until tender, then put through a food mill or sieve. Measure 3 quarts of apple pulp and cook until mixture mounds on a spoon. Add sugar and spices (taste it, you can add more or less to make it the way you like it), cook stirring frequently until mixture is thick, about 1 hour. Watch carefully as the apple butter thickens so it doesn't stick and scorch. Pour hot into hot jars, add rings and lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for pints and quarts. Makes about 6 pints (depending on how juicy your apples are) This is a recipe that you HAVE to taste to get it right. The apples could be very sweet or extremely sour. If they are juicy, they'll cook down and make less but it will taste just as good. I regularly add more cloves because I love that flavor, and sometimes I add ginger. Occasionally I use half brown sugar. Oh, and I always reuse the cider, I either cook more apples in it and make a double batch of apple butter, or I strain it and make apple jelly. Incidentally, if you think you can use that much, you don't have to can it, it'll keep in the refrigerator for a week or two. It doesn't freeze well, though, it kind of "separates". Annie