This vegan apple butter is made with crab apples, which are usually left to fall and rot as they're not edible raw. Cooking them down for apple butter brings out their sweetness and stays tart, for a really nice flavour. This can also be made with normal eating apples.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Vegan
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 2 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours40 minutesminutes
Servings 2cups
Ingredients
6cupsapplesauce
2tablespoonslemon juice
1/4-1/2cuphoney or coconut sugaroptional*
1teaspooncinnamon
Instructions
Add the applesauce to a large, wide based pan. Ceramic is perfect if you have it. Stir in the lemon juice.
Cook for two hours over low heat, stirring every half hour. Cover with a splatter guard if you have one, or with a lid tilted to let steam escape. You'll hear lots of blooping noises.
After two hours it should be reduced significantly. Once it has thickened, stir every fifteen minutes or so. It will start sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour (see photo below for what it should look like in the pan). It will be darker and almost caramel-like in consistency. Taste at this point and see if a sweetener is needed. I used 1/3 cup honey with crab apples, but it should be sweet enough as is if you used regular apples. Stir in the cinnamon.
Remove from heat and store in jars in the fridge or freezer. If canning, boil for 30 minutes in a water bath.
Notes
1. Taste before adding anything to sweeten it, as you may not need it depending on the type of apples you use.