Apple Butter Without Cider

A historical recipe from Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches, by Eliza Leslie (1840).

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A historical recipe

Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches, by Eliza Leslie (1840). Project Gutenberg eBook #9624.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: food kept without cooking or cold storage. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.

Storage. The keeping times and places here are from before refrigeration. Follow current storage guidance.

Ingredients 2 ingredients

six gallons of the best molasses
a pound of mixed spice

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

To ten gallons of water add six gallons of the best molasses, mixing them well together.
Put it into a large kettle over a good fire;
let it come to a hard boil, and skim it as long as any scum continues to rise.
Then take out half the liquid, and put it into a tub.
Have ready eight bushels of fine sound apples, pared, cored and quartered.
Throw them gradually into the liquid that is still boiling on the fire.
Let it continue to boil hard, and as it thickens, add by degrees the other half of the molasses and water, (that which has been put into the tub.) Stir it frequently to prevent its scorching, and to make it of equal consistence throughout.
Boil it ten or twelve hours, continuing to stir it.
At night take it out of the kettle, and set it in tubs to cool;
covering it carefully.
Wash out the kettle and wipe it very dry.
Next morning boil the apple butter six or eight hours longer;
it should boil eighteen hours altogether.
Half an hour before you take it finally out, stir in a pound of mixed spice;
cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, all finely powdered.
When entirely done, put up the apple butter in stone or earthen jars.
It will keep a year or more.
It can, of course, be made in a smaller quantity than that given in the above receipt;
and also at any time in the winter;
fresh cider not being an ingredient, as in the most usual way of making apple butter.

Plating

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Cookware for this recipe

Saucepan
Chef's knife
Wooden spoon
Slotted spoon
Kettle