Crabapple Butter

I often turn my apples into applesauce but then I don't do much with it after that. I can't explain why but it happens (changing soon, I hope) so I decided I needed something else. I decided it would be a good time to learn to make apple butter. The result was a thick, creamy substance that has replaced butter on our morning English Muffins and makes us anxious to learn to make our own instant oatmeal to throw a dollup into. Using apple butter in place of butter on our morning toasted bread helps stretch our butter through the month and is lower in calories (and so much better for us). The sweetness of your apples will determine the amount of sugar. Our apples were a little on the bitter side so I used the whole six cups. Because my applesauce was so thick, all I had to do was heat the entire pot up to a boil and it was done (it did mean it wasn't as hot for the canning so I had to boil my jars starting in cooler water).

Applesauce:
Wash apples to remove any dirt or grime. Cut away any questionable spots (don't worry about stems, seeds or worms). Dump into a large pot with about 1-2 inches of water on the bottom to prevent scorching. Put on a lid. If you have a whole day, then heat slowly on medium heat until the apples are really soft. If you have less time, bring water to a boil on a higher heat then reduce to medium and let simmer until the apples are soft. Press the apples through a food mill or small hole colander. (I have a funnel shaped food mill with a pestle that was inexpensive and so useful). You now have applesauce.

Apple Butter
12 cups apple sauce
3-6 cups sugar
1 1/2 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas gd cloves
Dump all the ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Once boiling, stir constantly until the butter is thick enough to stick to the spoon. Ladle into hot canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace (I think 1/2 inch would be better because every one of my jars bubbled over during the waterbath). Boil for 10 minutes in a waterbath.