One of our favorite fall escapes is to a little family farm in Cornwall, NY called the Jones Farm. Grandma Phoebe and her family make freshly baked goods daily: wonderful pies, delicious linzer tarts, lemon bread, apple cider doughnuts and more. You will often find Grandma Phoebe by her fudge offering samples. The farm has become a required stop anytime we drive out of the city on a weekend to enjoy the Hudson Valley. Last Sunday we took such trip.
After enjoying some fresh apple cider and picking up some fresh strawberry rhubarb pie (so good that Angelica now wants it for her birthday), some lemon cake and a few other goodies, we headed out to enjoy the rest of the day. Our next stop was a farm offering apple picking and hay rides. I picked up a half bushel of macintosh apples. Yes, half a bushel. So all week, I have been finding ways to use these apples and Grandma Zona's apple butter came to mind. I prepared a batch and canned it as soon as it was ready. Apple butter will keep in a canning jar for a few months.
I was introduced to canning by Scott's family. Scott's parents were both raised in Powell, Wyoming, where farming was their means of livelihood. Powell is a small rural town in a semi-arid desert. Farming this dry land often saturated with minerals that make the land inhospitable to vegetation, was their means of survival. Preserving the food they raised during the short summer months was an important part of surviving through the winter.
Scott's mom Dorthy and Grandma Zona are both avid canners. They can what they raise, like bird egg beans, green beans, beets, potatoes. Also fruits like peaches and cherries end up in mason jars for winter enjoyment. I still remember walking down into Grandma Zona's root cellar, a space carved into the ground, perhaps about 7 feet wide by 7 feet deep, lined with wooden shelves stacked high with cans of fruit and vegetables and home made soap. I have great respect and admiration for this tradition of food preservation.
Grandma Zona's Apple Butter
8 macintosh apples, quartered
1 cup water or apple cider
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1. Make apple sauce: Place quartered apples and water (or cider) in a large heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the apples and liquid into a large strainer. Strain the pulp and discard the seeds and skin.
2. Return the apple sauce to the large heavy saucepan. Add sugar and spices. Bring to a slow simmer for 3 hrs or until the apple sauce has reduced to 5 cups (about half in volume). Remove from heat. Can the apple butter and let sit overnight at room temperature. Keep in a cool place for up to 3 months or refrigerate for up to 6 months.
Makes 5 cups.