Apple Butter

I can remember a time when I was growing up when my mom and her friends made a very large batch of apple butter in our home, and what stuck with me most was that it took a very long time and that it was scary good. I probably exaggerated in my mind just how labor intensive it was, because 99% of the time it takes to create this delicious treat is spent waiting while the slow cooker does all the work. One thing I did get right is that apple butter is just darn delicious.

I feel bad for apple butter, in the same way I feel bad for oatmeal cookies -- it doesn't look or sound glamorous but when you try it you realize that it's absolutely scrumptious. You can spread it on toast or a fresh baked biscuit (hello extra gym time), eat it with a soft cheese and water crackers, alongside pork or chicken. Or you can eat it with a spoon straight from the jar. That's always a good option.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs apples (I used 8 Granny Smith and 6 Fuji)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Juice of one medium lemon
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Special items for canning:

• Water bath (large stock pot)
• Tongs
• Canning jars, seals, and rings
• Funnel, wide-mouthed

Directions:

1. Peel, slice, and core the apples and place them in your slow cooker. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over top, then evenly pour the water, lemon juice, and vinegar over the apple slices. Use a large spoon to mix everything up. Cook on low heat for 10-12 hours. 
2. Transfer the apples to a blender and blend the apples until smooth, then return the apple butter to the slow cooker. Place the lid back on off-kilter so the steam can escape, and cook for an additional 4-5 hours, until it the apple butter has thickened (similar to the consistency of a hearty tomato sauce).
3. If you do not want to can the apple butter you can store it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to one year.

Canning instructions:

1. When the apple butter is almost done, prepare the jars for canning.
2. Place your jars in the bottom of a large pot, then fill the pot with water up to a couple inches past the tops of the jars. 
3. Boil the jars and the lids for 15 minutes, then use tongs to remove them. 
4. Use a funnel to spoon the hot apple butter into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headroom. Place the seals and screw on the lids, then return the jars to the water bath and boil them for 15 minutes. 
5. Use tongs to remove the jars of apple butter and place them on a counter top or surface where they won't be disturbed. Leave until the lids pop to seal and the apple butter has cooled, approximately 6-8 hours. Once the lids pop to seal you loosen the rings to prevent rusting. You will hear the seals popping as the contents cool, and you can also test it later by pressing on the center of  the seal - if it doesn't budge it's sealed, if it pops in and out it's not. Any jars that didn't seal can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
6. Store your canned apple butter in a cool, dark and dry place for up to one year. Once opened, the apple butter will keep in your fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

I've been trying to get back to basics lately, trying to DIY and re-purpose and not be such a lump, and canning is something I've always wanted to master. Yesterday I took the plunge - I bought a canning kit! I considered buying everything separate then I realized that I would be setting myself up for disaster if I didn't have the right tools (plus, how would I know that I didn't have everything?)... so I bought myself a complete canning kit. And I'm so glad I did -- it made canning a breeze and now I just want to can everything I see!

This was an excellent recipe as a beginner, and it boosted my confidence, gave me a can-do attitude... get it? CAN do? Anyway, this recipe is great for testing the water - it makes 2 jars, takes less than 45 minutes working at a snail's pace, and it makes you feel like a gosh darn pioneer.

Makes 2 mason jars
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 quarts of strawberries (about 10 cups)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 packet of pectin
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Other tools/supplies: 
Potato masher
Canning kit (1 large stock pot, canning rack, jar tongs, 2 mason jars + lid/band for each, funnel)

Directions:

1.  Place the jars, lids and bands in the large pot and cover with water, simmer as you work (this sanitizes the jars/lids)
2. Rinse the strawberries then hull them (aka lop off the stem). Place them in a rimmed baking sheet then mash with the potato masher -- leave it lumpy but make sure each strawberry gets smashed apart. Now here is where you have a couple options: Place the strawberries in a bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar, let it macerate overnight then continue. Or, you can be impatient like me and just forge ahead. 
3. Pour the strawberries into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar (or the remaining sugar if you decided to let it macerate) and stir constantly, cook for about 10 minutes. Bring the strawberries to a rolling boil and add the pectin. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
4. Remove the jars and lids from the water with your tongs, set them on a clean dishtowel. Turn the heat to high--we want to bring the water to a boil. Place the funnel in one jar and pour the jam in until it's no more than 1/2 inch from the top. Do the same for the other jar. Wipe the rim, place the lid on and screw on the band to fingertip tightness. 
5. Place the jars back in the water bath (use the tongs! The jars will be hot hot hot from the jam), cover with a lid, and boil for 10-15 minutes. Use the tongs to remove the jars from the water and set them somewhere where they can sit upright and undisturbed for 24-48 hours.
6. Consume jam within 1 week of opening, but as long as the top is concave (it shouldn't pop when pressed) it will keep indefinitely. 

Note:
Shelf life-- I found recipes and blogs and articles about the shelf life of homemade canned jam, and I found that if you sealed it properly and gave it the water bath at the start, you should be good indefinitely. If you blew off the water bath, you're on borrowed time. If the lids pop when you press them, it's time to eat up. Otherwise, your jam should last through the winter. Of course, this is my first time canning jam so I doubt my jam will last longer than a week or so because I will eat it all!
Sugar-- Most recipes I found told me to have a 1:1 berry to sugar ratio, but I am not a fan of super sugary foods so I had 8 cups of strawberries and 2 cups of sugar... and it was sweeeeet. As you can see in my photo, I didn't have enough jam to really fill up the jars all the way, so I adjusted the recipe for y'all.