I use a counter mounted spiral peeling and slicing hand operated “appliance” for peeling and slicing the apples all at one time. Its a time saver, the apples cook faster when they are cut thinner, and it saves me from launching apples in to the trash can while I’m trying to peel them by hand. I might have a reputation in my house, for doing that…

The nice thing about using that kind of peeler/corer combination is that the peels end up being so nice that you almost have to use them to make apple cider vinegar. At this point I have at least 2 gallon size freezer bags full of apple peels and cores to make the batch this year. It will probably make at least 3 quarts prior to straining.

The 2 quarts I fermented last year trimmed down to 1 quart after I strained it. I may have another article coming about DIY apple cider vinegar.

I don’t know why I wrote salt down twice, but it is supposed to be ground clove. I also use apple cider to add more flavor to the end product and just cook the apples until the cider has reduced by at least half.

The year we bought our house I experimented with “speed steeping” vanilla extract by running it through the instant pot. Turns out it was just as good as the time aged version. But this one is REALLY aged.

I use fancy cinnamon because the generic unspecified stuff you can get in the store (McCormick, or store brand) are VERY likely the type of cinnamon that has the same compound that can be used to make blood thinners and rat poison, where as Vietnamese, Ceylon, and another type of cinnamon are naturally lower in content of that compound. And considering I use a LOT of cinnamon in everyday life, I really don’t want to accidently poison myself.

I use a stock pot for cooking the apple butter and I cook it until the apples are all mushy and then I cook it some more. I think this batch cooked for 2 hours before I took the immersion blender to it. And then it was still too chunky so I put it through a smoothie blender and it was the perfect consistency.

If you intend to can your end product, it is best to do it while it is still hot.

Fill your clean jars, clean the rims with a clean cloth dipped in white vinegar, place the lids, put on the rings finger tight and water bath can them for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the counter for 24 hours before storing. If any of them do not seal, put them in the refrigerator and use within a few days.

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