Thick Apple Butter for Winter
A natural treat without preservatives - try it! Thick apple butter for winter isn’t just a sweet preserve, it’s the true taste of autumn. Cinnamon and cardamom add warm spice, while citric acid gives a gentle tang. Great for pies, pancakes, and toast.
Updated : 13 March, 2026
Easy
Ingredients
2 kilograms
Apple
1 kilograms
Sugar
1
Lemon
500 milliliters
Water
to taste
Cinnamon
to taste
Cardamom
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Which apples are best? Use fresh, seasonal apples, preferably homegrown so the skin isn’t coated with wax. I used regular white sugar, but you can use cane sugar for a caramel note or coconut sugar for a coconut aroma.
Step 2
Peel the apples. Put the peels into a thick-bottomed pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Then discard the peels, but keep the liquid they were cooked in.
Step 3
Cut the apple flesh into cubes, removing the core and seeds. Put the apples into the liquid where the peels were simmered.
Step 4
Add sugar, cardamom, and a cinnamon stick. You can add cinnamon and cardamom whole or ground; if whole, remember to remove them at the end. Other spices also work well - vanilla, nutmeg, cloves - choose to taste. Add the juice and zest of one lemon. To get more juice, pour boiling water over the lemon beforehand.
Step 5
After it comes to a boil, cook the apple butter over low heat for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming off foam.
Step 6
Sterilize the jars in any convenient way. I pour a little water into each jar and microwave for 5-7 minutes. You can also sterilize jars in the oven at 100°C / 212°F for about 30 minutes, or scald them with boiling water or hold over steam. Boil the lids for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Spoon the finished apple butter into jars (you can fill them while hot or let it cool first) and seal tightly with lids.
Step 8
Thick apple butter keeps up to 2 years in a cool, dark place (cellar or pantry). Enjoy!
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