Spiced Apple Butter Cloves (Printable Version)
Rich, smooth apple spread with warming spices and cloves, great on toast or oatmeal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fruit
01 - 3 lbs apples (Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and chopped
→ Sweetener
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
→ Liquids
04 - 1/2 cup apple cider or water
→ Spices
05 - 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 tsp ground cloves
07 - 1/2 tsp ground allspice
08 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ Acid
10 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
# How to Make It:
01 - Place apples, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and apple cider or water in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir to mix evenly.
02 - Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and begin breaking down, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
03 - Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender or standard blender in batches until the texture is very smooth.
04 - Return puree to pot and stir in cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and fresh lemon juice uniformly.
05 - Simmer uncovered on low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the mixture thickens, darkens, and holds its shape on a spoon, about 1.5 hours.
06 - Taste and fine-tune the spice blend or sweetness as preferred.
07 - Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to sterilized jars. Refrigerate for up to three weeks or process for long-term storage.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- It tastes like autumn in a jar, with warming spices that make everything feel cozy.
- Once it's done, you barely have to think about it—just stir occasionally while you do other things.
- One batch fills several jars, so you'll have enough to gift or enjoy for weeks.
02 -
- Stir the apple butter frequently during that final simmer or it will stick and scorch on the bottom, ruining the whole batch—I learned this the hard way.
- The transformation into deep brown is exactly when it should come off the heat; waiting even ten minutes longer can make it bitter.
03 -
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot; it conducts heat evenly and prevents scorching during that long simmer.
- If your apple butter seems thin after the simmering time, return it to medium-low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes—every stove is different.