At her canning demo last Thursday, Lorene Forkner Edwards wowed us with her unfussy, “of course you can do this” approach to preserving. Find this and many other recipes in Canning & Preserving Your Own Harvest, (by Carla Emery & Lorene Edwards Forkner, 2009 Sasquatch Books), and on her website, www.plantedathome.com.
Sun-dappled apples. Photo by Kimberly McKittrick.
Microwave Apple Butter
This recipe does away with steamy hours spent stirring over a hot stove and the crushing disappointment when a carefully tended batch scorches in a moment of distraction.
Season: Late summer to fall
Yield: About 2 cups
Store: Refrigerator (2 months)
1 1/2 pounds apples, quartered
1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 whole allspice berries
3 whole cloves
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Generous pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a glass 8- by 8-inch dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cook at 100% for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and purée the now softened fruit in a food processor; take care to avoid being burned by hot spatters. Press the purée through a fine sieve to remove any skins and the whole spices; cook, uncovered at 100% for 10 minutes longer.
Remove from oven and pack the hot butter into hot, sterilized pint jars and cover with a tight lid. Let stand until cool and store refrigerated for up to 2 months.
Lorene does a demo. Photo by Michael Nank
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