It's apple season and a good time to make a few new recipes.
This is the season for studying apples in elementary school.
My 5-year-old's kindergarten class sorted groups of apples by color, had a tasting session and then made applesauce.
She now can tell me the types of apples as we stroll by them at the grocery store.
In my son's third grade class, the story of Johnny Appleseed was introduced. It prompted him to find a bigger book on the seed-spreading missionary.
The more comprehensive Johnny Appleseed (Jonathan Chapman) biography included a section about the diets of the people during the late 1770s to early and mid-1880s.
Apples became a staple and were eaten fresh, dried for the winter and fermented for hard cider.
But one thing caught my son's attention.
"Apple butter, that's not a real thing," he said.
Guilt overcame me that this had been a neglected part of his upbringing so far.
It was by chance a co-worker, Phil Lamb, had just made apple butter from a tree grown in his yard.
Like Johnny Appleseed, he kindly gave us a jar to spread the food joy.
My kids were reluctant at first, thinking this would taste a bit like the lard-like butter.
But after the first taste, they were hooked.
It was a spiced version, filled with more sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg than I have had and included some apple skins.
The oh-so fine apple goodness was gone in one night, spread evenly among after-dinner toast for a dessert.
I'm hoping to pry the recipe out of Phil, but my kids are determined to find some recipes themselves.
For starters, I think we'll try this easy one I found on
SouthernPlate.com , but please feel free to add any suggestions:
Ingredients
2- 3 lb (50 oz) jars unsweetened apple sauce
3 lbs granny smith apples
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
Instructions
Peel and cut apples into small chips. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and stir.
Cover and cook on low overnight (eight to ten hours). Remove cover, stir and taste. Add more spices or sugar if desired.
Continue cooking for a few more hours, uncovered, until some of the liquid has gone and butter has cooked down a bit.
Pour into jars and refrigerate (unless it is canned properly).
Serve over hot biscuits, toast, scones, or just eat it out of the jar if no one is looking!
