Caramel Apple Butter
Experiment with other fruit or vegetable purées to celebrate what is available each season, such as pumpkin, pear or carrot.
This recipe is a tribute to the apples grown around the hills of Headwaters. It is perfect with cheese, on toasty bread with a thick swoosh of butter, as a filling for tarts, or mixed into sauces. Experiment with other fruit or vegetable purées to celebrate what is available each season, such as pumpkin, pear or carrot. Inspired by Toronto chef Justin Courneya’s recipe.
Caramel Apple Butter
Serves
Makes 4 cups.
Ingredients
- 8 lbs or about 25 sweet apples, cored and cut into eighths (Miriam uses organic Four Wheel Farm* apples)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place apples in a large pot over medium-high heat and cover. Once they begin to release their juices and soften, uncover and cook until completely soft, approximately 15–20 minutes, stirring often. Purée using a food mill or blend and process through a sieve. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spread sugar evenly in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Watch carefully until sugar dissolves and becomes a deep golden colour, approximately 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, taking care not to burn the sugar.
- Once sugar caramelizes and is liquid, turn heat off and quickly add apple purée. The mixture will steam and splatter a little, so wear oven mitts or long sleeves. Stir vigorously, scraping bottom of pot and incorporating apple purée into caramel.
- Add butter, season with salt and mix to combine. Bring apple/caramel mixture to a strong simmer. Remove from heat and transfer to a large, flat-bottomed roasting pan. Place pan in oven and roast until mixture has reduced by half, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check oven often, scraping down sides of pan to incorporate the crispy caramelized sugar pieces and prevent the edges from burning.
- Once mixture is a rich dark brown and thick in consistency, remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle and pack into jars. Or while still hot, spoon over vanilla ice cream!
- Caramel-Apple Butter can be refrigerated for up to two weeks, or processed and canned.
Notes
* Four Wheel Farm : Glen Huron 705-428-3425
