Apple Butter

Directions

Take 12 lbs. of any kind of apple. Don't peel them, but do core them (I do this by just slicing the apple around the core, not with any fancy gadget). Put the apple slices in a big pot. Fill the pot with water until you can just see water through the top layer of apples. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for a couple of hours. Put this through a blender. If you need to stop here, you can refrigerate this mix overnight and start again the next day.

Measure how much apple goo you now have. For every cup of apple goo, add one half of a cup of sugar. Mix well. Add the grated rind and juice of two lemons. Add whatever spices you like (I used 2 Tbsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, and 2 tsp. nutmeg). Bring to a boil, and allow to cool again (you can put this whole mix back in the fridge at this point for 12 hours or so. I wouldn't leave it any longer, because it's a sweet mixture that mould would enjoy growing in!).

Put about 3/4 of the apple mixture in a heatproof crock. Put in a cold oven, then turn oven to 300 F. Check the mixture every hour or so, and give it a stir. As the mixture shrinks, add the rest of the apple mix.

Once the apple mixture is dense but still moist (this took about six hours for me), dispense it into hot jelly jars, seal, and water process for five minutes. Leave upright to cool for 12 hours. If the jars haven't sealed, then either re-process or refrigerate.