Lollappleooza Preview: All Night Apple Butter

Spurred by the changing of the leaves and a temporary onset of insanity, The Boyfriend and I (along with every four-year-old in Brooklyn) went apple picking last weekend. We spent two hours in the 85°F "autumn," and came home with head colds and almost six dozen pieces of fruit. Since there was no way we were going to finish them one by one (the apples, not the head colds), I had to start cooking. Fast.

Thus, Lollappleooza was born.

(Yay! Plays on words!)

Kicking off October 15th, Lollappleooza will be a five day hootenanny of apple recipes, links, and frugality strategies. It will be the ultimate apple guide, a convergence of the finest apple-related frippery the blogosphere has to offer. It will also help me use up 69 apples.

Which, speaking of…

Shortly after arriving home, I found AllRecipes’ All Day Apple Butter, which needs its title changed to Why You Should Always Read the Reviews Butter. The recipe called for five pounds of apples aided and abetted by a staggering four cups of sugar. Yoinks. Most AllRecipe commentors agreed this gave the spread a lollipop-like sweetness, much too cloying for the average bear. A bunch ended up cutting the sugar in half, to way better results. Increasing the spices and extending the crock potting time were suggested, too, and both turned out to be really good calls.

I followed all the advice, and in the end, my version was still sweet, but not gag-inducingly so. The apples shone through, and the cinnamon and cloves made it much kickier than store-bought apple butters. Though I might tone the sugar down even more next time, I’d happily spread this on toast or pumpkin bread. I might even lick it off my fingers. I would definitely do everything in this Chowhound thread.

P.S. Don’t forget! Lollappleooza starts Monday! I promise you won't need tickets, and don’t have to join Greenpeace (unless you want to). Hope to see you there.

All Night Apple Butter
Makes 2-1/2 cups or 40 Tablespoons
Adapted from All Recipes.

2-3/4 lbs MacIntosh or Cortland apples (about 10 medium), peeled, cored, and chopped into tiny pieces
Scant 2/3rd cup unpacked brown sugar
Scant 2/3rd cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heaping 1/8th teaspoon cloves
1/4th teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8th teaspoon salt

1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.

2) Pour all ingredients into 3-1/2 qt. slow cooker. Mix well.

3) Cook on high for 1 hour. Stir. Mash slightly with potato masher.

4) Cook on low 9-12 hours. Stir. Mash with potato masher.

5) Cook an additional 2 hours with cover off. Stir. Mash with potato masher to desired consistency.

6) Leave overnight in the fridge for optimum taste.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
37 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10

Calculations
2-3/4 lbs apples: 600 calories, 1.6 g fat, $2.90
Scant 2/3rd cup unpacked brown sugar: 364 calories, 0 g fat, $0.25
Scant 2/3rd cup granulated white sugar: 511 calories, 0 g fat, $0.21
Heaping 1 teaspoon cinnamon: negligible fat and calories, $0.03
Heaping 1/8th teaspoon cloves: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice: negligible fat and calories, $0.02
1/8th teaspoon salt: negligible fat and calories, $0.01
TOTAL: 1475 calories, 1.6 g fat, $3.80
PER SERVING (TOTAL/40): 37 calories, 0 g fat, $0.10