Creative Spices for Apple Butter - recipes please

There are a few threads here on permies about making apple butter, but I didn't see any that mentioned what spices/volume cooked apple people have used which they liked.

I did find a link to a recipe which called for: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg for 6 large apples

Feel free to have a conversation with my apple tree (I've recently been told it's a red Gravenstein* if that helps), but it produces many different sized apples, so some idea based on a volume of cooked apples really would help me out.

I'm also feeling like the triad of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg is a bit too common. I'm wondering if a few cardamom seeds through my grinder might be interesting?

I will likely use this on toast, so I am looking more towards sweet than savory or hot, although one of the permies threads suggested apple butter could be used as a base for BBQ sauce, so I won't object if people contribute recipes for that, or anything similar where we start with a base of very thick, mushed apple.

I wonder if it could be made into a ketchup replacement?


*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravenstein

Cranberries are coming into season with the apples here. When I make apple sauce I occasionally make some with cranberries. I wonder what that apple cranberry combination would do to your apple butter.

Robert Ray wrote:I wonder what that apple cranberry combination would do to your apple butter.

I have mixed blackberries in with apple when making jam, but I've never considered cranberries. Cranberries have been harder to come by around here the last few years.

Have you considered adding chilis to your apple butter?

I made several batches of crab apple jelly with chilis and posted photos in this thread

https://permies.com/t/193513/tamarillo-jam#1609010

We served the jelly with cheese and cold meats. It was great with pork chops too.

Stewed apples are a softer consistency than apple butter but I think that chilis could also be good in either.

Seville oranges are in season here so making marmalade at the moment, grated Seville orange zest is really good added to cooked apples.

I find it easier to measure fruit by weight rather than volume - it allows for different sizes of fruit.

For jams and jellies, I prefer batches of no more than 1.5 kg - setting is more consistent. Larger batches are for chutneys or stewed apples when I often use up to 3 kg fruit - too much takes too long to reduce.

The added ingredients such as dried dates; raisins etc can add another kg.  

I jot down the spice combos and number of spoons by weight of fruit and whether the fruit was under or over ripe so that I can adjust the ratio of sugar.

We prefer to err on the side of too little sugar - water bathing ensures that the preserves store safely.

i often swap in cardamom in cake recipes where i want to mix things up. I do really love nutmeg and cinnamon, but a cardamom pod can give a recipe an entirely different pop.
In that case I don't usually mix cardamom with cinnamon, I'll use cardamom and lemon or orange peel, for example. This in cake, mind you, not apple butter.

I haven't had apple butter in a gazillion years, but memory tells me it was what we nowadays would call 'pumpkin spice' flavor: to me that means what I put in pumpkin pie: cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom.

a friend served the Bestest Ever apple pie, which was flavoured with lemon - maybe an alternative "spice" to the more common aromatics.  I think orange would work too.

OK, this morning I took the plunge and spiced and bottled the Apple Butter I made over the last few days.
Apple butter:
~2.5 liters boiled down/dehydrated apple sauce (~2.25 kg of mush)
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cardamom pods whizzed
1 Tbsp lemon zest approximate
2 cups sugar
The sugar is to reduce the risk of botulism as I don’t want to add lemon juice and lemon zest isn’t as acid as the juice.

I will boiling water bath it. Still some risk, but pressure canning is too much of a pain unless I build myself an outdoor kitchen.
I got a 500ml jar, 3x 355ml jars, 3x 250ml jars, one odd little plump canning jar I was given, and a little bit of scrap for immediate consumption.

Hubby noticed the cinnamon. I noticed the cardamom. A friend didn't think the lemon zest and cardamom would go together, but changed her mind and insisted she liked it. Personally, I think the lemon is very subtle.  

It definitely isn't boring. It will be interesting to see what #2 Son and his Wife think of it.

I would definitely do this again!

I add clove to apple butter.  Whether or not to add cardamom would depend on if you like it!  Cardamom is an odd spice to me.  Some foods I enjoy with it, and in some foods it just tastes wrong!😊

If you have access to quince, you could lean into that direction. With the added tropical notes, you can base your other additions around maximizing fruitiness.

Megan Palmer wrote:Have you considered adding chilis to your apple butter?

You should always replace at least half the cinnamon with cayenne...

i second that post about clove, just dont overdo it or your gut will know about it. i recently found golden /inca berries to be absolutely divine in a salad with the sour flavor, and id look at that or some lemon/orange rind grated into the apple butter. ive found amazing combos with apples include apple/cinamon with nutmeg and sultanas/raisings, and interestingly the sugars act like a kind of anti-cancer/pathogen when combined with potent medicinal spices like clove or oregano . the great thing with any citrus rind is it acts as a great preservative too

Jay Angler wrote:I wonder if it could be made into a ketchup replacement?

Banana ketchup (with bananas instead of tomato) is a relatively common alternative, a banana ketchup recipe might be a good starting point for experimentation with apple butter ketchup; I assume apple butter as the base would arrive at a more comparable consistency, whereas applesauce might end up too runny.

Edit to add: at the bottom of this thread in the "similar threads" there was one discussing "nightshade free ketchup", and one of the posts had a youtube where he makes ketchup from apples: Apple ketchup post

I don't use my yummiest apples for apple butter or applesauce (they get saved for fresh eating, pie, and baked apples). To boost the "apple" flavor of 2nd-rate apples, I use CHAMOMILE. Make a strong chamomile tea or infusion, and use this as the water when cooking down apples. Lotsa delicious flavor options listed above. My pick? Try GINGER!

Jeanne M Wallace wrote:I don't use my yummiest apples for apple butter or applesauce (they get saved for fresh eating, pie, and baked apples). To boost the "apple" flavor of 2nd-rate apples, I use CHAMOMILE. Make a strong chamomile tea or infusion, and use this as the water when cooking down apples. Lotsa delicious flavor options listed above. My pick? Try GINGER!

Not a bad idea, as chamomile is high in bisabolol and which is one of the primary components in it's distinctive aroma, which is also sometimes described as having a sweet/honey/apple aroma. Smart.

If you're looking to enhance apple aroma/flavor further, using similar tools, consider adding the following for their farnesene/farnesol content:

- Orange blossoms (also has nerolidol which is present in small amounts in apples)
- Rose petals
- Apple peels (highest concentration of a-farnesene in the apple)
- citrus zest (avoid the pitch so you don't go bitter)
- ginger (a smaller amount than if you're looking for a spiced flavor)
- tea, particularly white tea

So, if you want richer apple flavor, don't throw your peels out, boil 'em and reduce the water, or, even better, juice 'em.

You can also reduce apple cider to a syrup and then add that into your butter.

Here's an example of what you could try:

- simmer your apple peels and ginger in equal parts water and cider for 20 minutes, mushing occasionally
- strain the peels and ginger, return to simmer and add your chamomile for 5 minutes, adding your white tea when there are 2 minutes remaining, rose petals for (don't over simmer the tea or you'll get bitters) then strain
- simmer to reduce over low heat until mixture achieves a syrupy consistency
- remove from heat, let cool to a warm-but-not-hot temperature, then add zest from a lemon and rose petals, then put into the fridge to infuse overnight, then strain the rose petals
- add this concentrated syrup to your final product during the last few minutes of cooking or just after pulling it off the heat

Chance Lunceford wrote:

Not a bad idea, as chamomile is high in bisabolol and which is one of the primary components in it's distinctive aroma, which is also sometimes described as having a sweet/honey/apple aroma. Smart.

If you're looking to enhance apple aroma/flavor further, using similar tools, consider adding the following for their farnesene/farnesol content:

- Orange blossoms (also has nerolidol which is present in small amounts in apples)
- Rose petals
- Apple peels (highest concentration of a-farnesene in the apple)
- citrus zest (avoid the pitch so you don't go bitter)
- ginger (a smaller amount than if you're looking for a spiced flavor)
- tea, particularly white tea

So, if you want richer apple flavor, don't throw your peels out, boil 'em and reduce the water, or, even better, juice 'em.

You can also reduce apple cider to a syrup and then add that into your butter.

Here's an example of what you could try:

- simmer your apple peels and ginger in equal parts water and cider for 20 minutes, mushing occasionally
- strain the peels and ginger, return to simmer and add your chamomile for 5 minutes, adding your white tea when there are 2 minutes remaining, rose petals for (don't over simmer the tea or you'll get bitters) then strain
- simmer to reduce over low heat until mixture achieves a syrupy consistency
- remove from heat, let cool to a warm-but-not-hot temperature, then add zest from a lemon and rose petals, then put into the fridge to infuse overnight, then strain the rose petals
- add this concentrated syrup to your final product during the last few minutes of cooking or just after pulling it off the heat

That  would be an incredible concoction!  If I still lived in the town where we had a very casual and unregulated farmers market I would try all that!  And give samples😊!

Happy Harvest, Jay!
So many apples, such a wonderful dilemma to have.

After making this rhubarb chutney recipe: https://www.kitchenparade.com/2003/06/rhubarb-chutney.php
I had wondered if a little savory apple butter could be created with the same pattern of cumin / ginger / cinnamon / cloves + onions.

I supposed it could depend alot on the specific apple, but it worked great for my Sentinal columnar apple tree harvest.

I don't know if you have a dehydrator, but it's my plan to make some apple rings with some of my apples. I probably would leave the skins on and just core them using my little gizmo that slices them into thin rings.  Easy storage. Dip the rings in lemon water to preserve good color. I finally purchased my dehydrator about a year ago and it's amazing what I can make.  I make a gallon and a half of yogurt in it, Yesterday, and for a while now, I've been slicing cherry tomatoes in half and dehydrating them for winter salads: I don't dry them until they are crisp, so to be on the safe side, I freeze them after drying.  They take no room at all. I can fit a giant bread bowl of cherry tomatoes into a quart ziplock and still have room left over.  (My stainless steel bowl is like 24" across...it's big!)

Barbara Simoes wrote:I don't know if you have a dehydrator, but it's my plan to make some apple rings with some of my apples. I probably would leave the skins on and just core them using my little gizmo that slices them into thin rings.  Easy storage. Dip the rings in lemon water to preserve good color. I finally purchased my dehydrator about a year ago and it's amazing what I can make.  I make a gallon and a half of yogurt in it, Yesterday, and for a while now, I've been slicing cherry tomatoes in half and dehydrating them for winter salads: I don't dry them until they are crisp, so to be on the safe side, I freeze them after drying.  They take no room at all. I can fit a giant bread bowl of cherry tomatoes into a quart ziplock and still have room left over.  (My stainless steel bowl is like 24" across...it's big!)

Have you considered storing your dried tomatoes in olive oil with (or without) garlic and herbs/spices?