Blueberry Apple Butter

I often make family members my taste testers when I try out new recipes and one of my favorite games to play is to pull out all of my fruit butters and jams and make them try one after another... while I watch... and analyse what they think by their expressions... and ask a million questions. It makes them a little uncomfortable. Weirded out yet? They are actually pretty good sports about it and I give them the goods to take with them so I like to think it's a win-win. My favorite is when I announce, "this one is blueberry apple" and almost every time I get the response, "I don't really care for blueberry." I persuade said person to try it and guess what- it's pretty much the favorite of everyone who has tried it!

I love smothering a fresh baked biscuit in this sweet butter, the girls want it on their pancakes (They win today!) The deep purple color is so pretty and the flavor is outstanding. I have to make sure to hide spoons when I pull it out because my girls eat it by the spoonful!

Ingredients

Makes approximately 7 cups

7 pounds of apples, cleaned and quartered
4 cups blueberries
Juice of one lemon
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp allspice

Directions

In a large pan combine apples, blueberries and lemon juice. Heat covered over a med-low heat until juices start to appear in bottom of the pan. Turn heat up to medium and continue cooking until all fruit is soft and easily pierces with a spoon, stirring occasionally. Once fruit is tender remove heat and process through a food mill, discarding skin, seeds, and tough pulp from the core. Place processed fruit into crockpot and add remaining ingredients, stirring well. Heat on high uncovered until fruit has reduced by half. Stir occasionally to keep from burning along the top edge as it reduces. Fill 8 oz mason jars and process in a water bath for 5 minutes or allow to cool and store in the refrigerator. 

Note: For a smoother texture I run the finished butter through the blender.


Breakfast time!

 

Apple Bread

Once upon a time there was a girl who had grandiose plans to turn out recipe after delicious recipe from the bounty of hand picked apples she carried into the house. There would be pies, glorious pies! No two the same and why would there be? With all these delicious apples every recipe should be tested and tried until a masterpiece was created. There would be sauces and fruit butters to cook with and enjoy on morning toast. There would be baked apples and poached apples, caramel covered and rum soaked. Every form of apple goodness!

Once reality set in this girl quickly changed plans and decided to find some good basic recipes to use up these apples. After all, when you bring in 400+ pounds of apples you are looking at some serious time in the kitchen! This apple bread recipe was born during the time of baking, tasting and trying again until it was right. The combination of diced apples and apple sauce make for the best flavor and texture. Throw in a little cinnamon and nutmeg you can't go wrong!

I still love trying out a new recipe when our fruit is freshly picked and my kitchen isn't overwhelmed by basket after basket of fruit, it is always exciting to create something new and tasty. I also have a soft spot in my heart for basic staple recipes, which is what this has become in our house. After spending days cutting, coring, slicing and saucing apples it usually signifies the end of processing apples and the beginning of fall. I love to sit down to the first loaf fresh from the oven and do a little taste testing with my girls, after all the best part about a loaf of bread is sharing it with someone!

The Recipe

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup apple sauce

3 cups diced apples (about 3 med apples)

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp sugar

Directions

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs and apple sauce. Add flour mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in diced apples and divide between loaf pans. Mix remaining cinnamon and sugar ans sprinkle over the top of each loaf. Bake for 65 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out of pans and allow to cool completely. 

We already have a loaf wrapped up and ready to take to grandma's house!

This recipe is shared at Homemade Mondays

Apple Chips

How did I make it to adulthood without ever having these sweet, crunchy treats?!

Thinly sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon and baked until crisp. So simple and so tasty!