Apple N Pear Butter Recipes

APPLE-PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• Place the apples, pears, and apple cider in a large heavy pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cover and continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes, or until the fruit is well softened.
• Place about half of the fruit mixture in a blender. Purée until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining fruit mixture.*
• Return the fruit mixture to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Continue to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the mixture thickens and turns deep brown. Stir frequently.
• Cool to room temperature. Then, transfer to airtight container(s) and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

APPLE-PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• In an 8- to 10-qt. heavy pot or Dutch oven combine apples, pears, and cider. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press apple mixture through a food mill or sieve. (You should have 7 1/2 to 8 cups.) Return pulp to pot; discard skins.
• Stir in sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over very low heat 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until thick enough that mixture mounds on a spoon, stirring often.
• Place pot of apple butter in a sink filled with ice water; stir to cool. Ladle into clean wide-mouth half-pint freezer containers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and label. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 6 months. Apple butter may darken slightly on freezing. Makes 5 to 6 half-pints.

CHEF

Steps:

• 1 Quarter the fruit (do not peel) and core. Dice into large chunks. Place the fruit and apple cider in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is very soft when pierced with a knife. 2 Remove the pan from heat; add brown sugar, spices and lemon juice and stir to blend. 3 Puree mixture until very smooth in food processor fitted with a steel blade. 4 Return the mixture to the saucepan; simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency. 5 Cool. Pour into jars, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 30 days.

SLOW-COOKER PEAR AND APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Peel, quarter, and core pears and apples. In a food processor, finely grate fruit (in batches, if necessary), then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in dark-brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on high, 4 hours.
• Remove cinnamon stick and reserve. Transfer mixture to processor (in batches, if necessary) and process until smooth. Return to slow cooker, along with cinnamon stick, and cook on high, uncovered, until mixture is thick and browned, 4 hours. Discard cinnamon stick and let mixture cool. Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate, up to 3 weeks, or freeze, up to 3 months.

APPLE PEAR BUTTER WITH PIE CRUST DIPPERS

Steps:

• For the apple pear butter: Place the apples and pears in the insert of a slow cooker. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup over the fruit, then drop the tea bag in and sprinkle with the salt. Gently stir to coat the fruit, being mindful not to break the tea bag. Cover and set to cook on high until the fruit is completely tender, about 8 hours. Discard the tea bag.
• Scoop the fruit into the bowl of a food processor with a slotted spoon and pulse until smooth, working in batches if necessary, about 1 minute. Pour the fruit puree into a large nonstick pot. Place the pot over low heat and bring to a simmer, then simmer until the volume is reduced by a third and the color darkens and intensifies, 35 to 40 minutes.
• For the pie crust dippers: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Place the round of pie dough on a cutting board. Add a splash of water to the beaten egg and brush the crust with the egg wash. Combine the sugar, apple pie spice and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the pie dough. Use a pizza cutter or knife to slice the round into 20 strips. Place on the lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Serve the butter alongside the pie crust dippers or store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. If preparing in advance, allow to cool completely before covering and storing.

PEAR-APPLE BUTTER WITH CARDAMOM

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine pears, apples, 3 cups water and brandy. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until fruit is very soft and falling apart, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Run mixture through the fine mesh of a food mill to remove seeds and skin. Return purée to pot and stir in sugar, lemon juice, cardamom and salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pot, until butter is thick, jammy, sticky to the touch and chestnut-colored, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir in vanilla.
• If you plan to can the butter, while it simmers prepare the jars according to the instructions here; after it has simmered, spoon into hot sterilized jars and process as directed. Otherwise, let butter cool, then store in the refrigerator or freezer.

APPLE N PEAR BUTTER

Steps:

• 1. Cook the apples and pears in juice and water until soft on medium heat. Let cool and blend in a food processor. Add back into pot using a measuring cup. For each cup of puree add 1/2 cup brown sugar.
• 2. Add all spices, lemon juice and zest. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours until thickened.
• 3. Ladle into sterilized jars and process in boiling water 10 minutes.

PEAR-APPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Put pears and water in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat about 20 minutes until pears are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain.
• Process in 2 batches in food processor or blender until smooth. You will have about 4 cups puree.
• Pour back into same saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and simmer about 1 hour until mixture is shiny and very thick, stirring often.
• Spoon into clean hot jars. Cover tightly, cool and refrigerate.