Greetings All, I FINALLY got around to making the Apple Butter and wanted to give you all a big THANKS! Last weekend got consumed by errand, appointments, and social obligations so I was unable to get any cooking done. This weekend I put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign, locked the door, and turned the phone off. Of course I didn't spend it all cooking. A lot of the time was spent turning nothing (counter space) into something (counter space). Unbelievable the amount of junk (and old canned goods) that accumulates in... Well, we won't go there. ;) Anyway, the recipe I chose was a basic one from the Ball canning book (starting simple). It didn't turn out GREAT and it wasn't terrible. I towards the end I thought it was tasting too sweet so I added an additional tablespoon of lemon juice. Maybe good, maybe not. There also seemed to be too much cinnamon and I might have cooked it down to far. It spread okay warm but I haven't tried it from the fridge. Anyway, fresh bread cut both the sugar and the cinnamon so I think I worried needlessly. There WAS an aftertaste of bottled lemon juice which I attribute to adding it in so late in the process. Over all it was tasty but I think it could be better... Next time. :D For now, I have most of it in the freezer in 4 ounce Rubbermaid containers. I'll vacuum seal those later and thaw as required. Once again, Thanks for all your help. Regards, Tim :)

ccaggiano, the amount of sugar used in fruit jams is not a safety issue. Traditional pectin needs a certain ratio of pectin/sugar/fruit to jell. An all fruit spread with no sugar at all is still safe to can, the issue is in whether or not it will jell. It has been noted here that "Pomona will jell water", so the sugar ratio isn't an issue. Cut it as low as you like until you are happy with the taste, it'll still be safe. I will note, however, that low sugar/no sugar spreads do not store as well or as long after opening and I've found that no-sugar spreads lose color. This picture shows this year's strawberry jam. My long cooked and low sugar jam is on the right, the "no sugar" spread with Equal is on the left. Annie

The recipe I was thinking of when I referred to technique was Linda Z's, not Linda A's. Though that one sounded good too, without the pectin. Here's Linda Z's (from The Joy of Jams): Caramel-Apple Jam 3.5 lbs tart apples, cored and sliced (unpeeled) 3.5C sugar 1/2C water 1 Tbsp lemon juice 3 Tbsp brandy (optional) 1 tsp vanilla extract In a preserving pan, cook the apples over low heat, covered, until soft, about 20 minutes. If they are dense, you may need to add a little water or cider at the start to keep them from scorching. Puree the apples using the medium screen of a food mill or sieve. Clean and dry the preserving pan, and combine in it 2C of the sugar, the (3.5C) water, and the lemon juice. Without stirring or shaking the pan, bring the syrup to a boil and gently boil until the water has evaporated and the syrup has turned golden brown. Remove the pan from heat immediately, before the caramel darkens. Add the apple puree to the caramel, which will harden at first and then begin to dissolve. Add the remaining 1.5C sugar and stir over low heat until the sugar and caramel have completely dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the jam to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes, until the jam is thick enough that your spoon briefly leaves a clear track at the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the brandy if you are using, and the vanilla. Ladle into pint or halfpint jars. Process 10 minutes in a BWB. I would try making this and see if it's thick enough for you before deciding whether to cook it longer. I'd be afraid that cooking it much longer after the caramel and sugar are added would make it scorch and lose the caramel flavor, but I don't know. She says that you can start with applesauce instead of apples if you want, 5C of applesauce (I assume unsweetened) added to the caramel and then proceed from there. I make my apple butter in the crockpot, just remove stems and blossom ends, quarter and then cut off the "points" to remove the cores. Cook for hours (add 1/2C to 1C apple juice or cider at first), then puree using a food mill over the preserving pan. Then I add the spices or maple syrup, sugar and cook down. This could be done the same way, but I would make the puree thicker than usual since I usually cook it more than 10 minutes after adding the sugar, I can't say how long b/c it depends on how long it had cooked in the slow cooker. But I'd say get your puree almost as thick as the apple butter you want, b/c 10 minutes isn't very long. HTH

Maybe it is a southern thing (even though the NCHFP recipe calls for vinegar) as Mom and Grandma were both from Georgia and none of the brothers or sisters ever heard of making it without vinegar either. But just out of curiosity I Googled other recipes for it and found that there are actually quite a few Apple Butter recipes that include vinegar (cider vinegar) so I guess we aren't TOO weird down here in the hills. ;) Try a small batch of it. You might just like it. And if you want to make Apple Butter Bar B Q sauce, here is our recipe: 1 1/4 cup apple butter 1 cup diced onion 1/4 cup ketchup 1-2 T prepared yellow mustard 1 t Worcestershire sauce 3 t liquid smoke Salt and pepper to taste (if you have Cavenders add 1 t) 1 t diced garlic 1-2 t cider vinegar (to thin to desired consistency) 1 t minced garlic 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon paprika Mix everything together in a sauce pot on medium heat and simmer (do not boil) for approx. 15 mins. Let cool and put in a jar. Keeps in the fridge for up to 30 days. If you prefer a sweeter sauce add 1-2 T honey or pancake syrup to taste. Dave