Festive Fun Foods Part I Apple Butter

In lieu of the holiday season so fast approaching us, I though I would share with you two of my favorite holiday recipes that our family has used since I could remember.

For the first; a harvest delight: Cinnamon-Apple Butter. If I ever what to make my brother happy I say I will make him some.


What you need:
A large bowl (depending on how many apples you use, I used 20+ so I needed a big one)
A large Teflon pot (Dutch oven)
Wooden spoon
Mill or grinder (a blender or food processor will work too)
Cinnamon
Vinegar (any vinegar will do, but our family prefers apple cider vinegar)
Sugar
Nutmeg
And of Course.....Apples, I use ones that we would not necessarily eat i.e.. bruised, cut or just ugly/old looking.

So if you are using the mill you can simply cut your apples into quarters. If you are using a blender or  food processor then I highly suggest you peel and core your apples. You may now proceed to boil them in your large Teflon pot just as if you were making mashed potatoes.

When the apples are soft, and basically falling apart, is when you can take them off the oven. You now grind them through your mill, or food processor, blender, whatever!
It should look like applesauce, does it? If it does, great! If not, keep blending/grinding.
Now, you can put your sugar in it right now and have applesauce, but that's not what we are making so, continuing on...
I used roughly 20 apples, so if you are not planning on using that much, please do downsize.
I put my applesauce back in the pot.

Add the following:
2 Cups Sugar (you can use whatever kind, even sugar in the raw, cause it will just boil away anyway. I cannot vouch for splenda though, we have never used it.) I used organic.(also, if you are not a health nut like my mom you can use 4 cups of sugar, if you don't you will just have to boil the dickens out of it)
1 Table spoon cinnamon (who cares about the measurement! Pour that baby!!!)
2 Cups vinegar (now this is key, if you don't add it, you will have cinnamon applesauce, the vinegar adds a small sweet tang that we LOVE in our butter)
The smallest pinch of nutmeg (this is not an apple pie, we don't want to be overwhelmed with the scent) you can add other spices too!

Mix it together, then let boil on low till done, or at least that's what mom says, and because I never know when "done" is,  she says its roughly (depending on how much you made)  up to five hours, but sometimes all day! (depends on how much sugar you use)

Now you can it and enjoy!  You can also freeze it and have it all winter, spring, summer, fall and winter! (it lasts a loooooooooong time in the freezer) I can't say that it lasts in the fridge very long in our house, I don't know how long it would take to ferment because it is simply gone before the due date ever arrives.
 There you go, I hope you enjoy it, its always fun to make and just as fun to eat! It goes on EVERYTHING! seriously, you can put it on toast, bread of any sort, your meat! on sandwiches, in cookies! the possibilities are endless!

Part II Chocolate Trolls coming soon