Why? Because you can! And pickle, and jam, or otherwise celebrate the resurgence of the domestic arts our forebears held so dear. Put on your best apron and step into our kitchen, won't you?
A subconscious scary cellar memory may have held me back from making preserves until now -- but I've conquered my canning fear with this homemade apple butter.
I hate apple butter. What's with that vile color, that repugnant texture, that lack of apple taste? And the gravest sin of all, not sweet! Here's a jam recipe for bright apples wallowing in a lush, sweet caramelized apple puree.
To canners around the world (at least in my hemisphere) fall means apple butter. This recipe makes use of apple cider for a spicy kick that makes me want to curl up in front of a fire with a good book (and a piece of bread smothered with the stuff!).
I used orange juice for my version and a few strips of lemon zest. As it bubbled away on the stove for several hours, my entire house was encased in the smell of Fall.
