Easy crab apple butter, made with apples that 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.
Add the applesauce to a large, wide based pan. Stir in the lemon juice.
1.5 litres applesauce*, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cook for two hours over low heat, stirring well every half hour. Cover with a splatter guard if you have one, or with a lid tilted to let steam escape.
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 above 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, then add honey if desired. Stir in the cinnamon.
80 grams honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Remove from heat and store in sterilised jars in the refrigerator or freezer. This lasts a week or two when refrigerated, and several months in the freezer.
Notes
*To make the applesauce, cook the apples with a splash of water until very soft, and then run through a food mill to remove the seeds and skin.**Taste before adding anything to sweeten it, as you may not need it depending on the type of apples you use.