Thick Apple Butter for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make thick apple butter? Gather all your ingredients. Use fresh, seasonal apples—ideally homegrown, so the skins aren't coated in wax. I'm using regular white sugar, but you can use cane sugar for a caramel note, or coconut sugar for a coconut one.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel the apples and cover the peels with water.

3. Step 3:

   

   Bring it to a boil and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Then discard the peels but keep the water they cooked in.

4. Step 4:

   

   Dice the apple flesh, cutting out the seed cores. Put the apples into the liquid the peels cooked in.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the sugar and cardamom.

6. Step 6:

   

   Then a cinnamon stick. You can add the cinnamon and cardamom whole or ground—but if you use them whole, don't forget to fish them out at the end of cooking. Other spices and seasonings work well here too: vanilla, nutmeg, cloves—whatever you like.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the juice and zest of one lemon. To get more juice out of the lemon, scald it with boiling water first.

8. Step 8:

   

   Set the apple butter over low heat and bring it to a boil.

9. Step 9:

   

   Cook for 1.5 hours, stirring now and then and skimming off any foam.

10. Step 10:

    

    Sterilize the jars however you like. I pour a little water into each jar and microwave them for 5 to 7 minutes. You can also sterilize the jars in the oven at 210°F (100°C) for about 30 minutes, or just scald them or hold them over steam. The lids only need 5 minutes in boiling water.

11. Step 11:

    

    Spoon the finished apple butter into the jars (while it's still hot, or after it cools) and seal them tightly with lids.

12. Step 12:

    

    Enjoy!