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On this page you will discover
Raintree's
Easy Applesauce, Applesauce#2 and Theresa Knutsen's delicious Plum Butter.
EASY
APPLESAUCE
Equipment required:
Food strainer
2 large bowls or steamer /juicer
spoon and spatula
Wash, quarter and stem ripe apples.
Option A- place in kettle with 1/2 water or cider, heat until fruit is
tender.
Option B- place in basket of steamer/juicer, steam until tender.
Put the fruit in the hopper of the food strainer and work it on through-
watch the apple sauce collect in one bowl and the pits and peelings in
another.
If you have used a steamer/juicer the applesauce may come out rather thick.
Thin it down with juice you have collected from the steamer or use cider
you pressed from some other apples (that could really jazz up the flavor
of your applesauce).
You may add sugar and spices at this point or can your sauce without-
your choice. Pack in sterile jars and process according to your canner
specifications. Use the apple varieties that you like, blending varieties
tends to yield a more flavorful sauce. Favorites here at the nursery include
(John: Link to apples) Gravenstein, Shay, Fiesta, Red Boskoop, Karmijn
and Akane.
APPLESAUCE #2
Equipment:
Apple peeler/corer
Large kettle or steamer/jucier
Ripe apples
Wash apples, stem, peel and core, using the apple peeler/corer
Option A-put apples in kettle with 1/2" water or cider
Option B-put apples in steamer/juicer
Cook until tender. Mash with potato masher or put through blender, depending
on how smooth you want your sauce. Add sugar and spices if desired. Process
as in first recipe.
Plum
Butter
Wash, halve and pit plums. Put in a pot with 1/2' of water in bottom,
simmer until soft.
At this point decide whether you want to keep the skins. If you do, blend
the fruit until smooth, if not, use a food strainer to remove the skins.
Put the pulp in a heavy bottomed glass, stainless, or enamel pot. I have
found that a cast iron skillet under a pot makes it heavy bottomed and
reduces scorching. Heat at a low temp without a lid, until the butter
is thick. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
Test by putting a small amount on a plate, if water oozes away from the
butter its not ready. I never seem to get all the water out, just most
of it. You can also use the oven to cook down you butter. Use a glass,
stainless or enamel pan again. Set the oven for 200-250o degrees, lower is better. Stir occasionally
to prevent scorching. Do same test as before. Pack your finished butter
in sterilized jars, process in a water bath 10 min for pints,15 min for
quarts. (Follow your canner instructions for processing time.)
There are many ways to vary the flavor of your butter. First is the variety
of plum you choose. You can use any Asian or European plum, expect the
juicier Asians to need more cooking time.
The degree of ripeness will also affect the flavor. I have noticed that
including over ripe fermented plums produces a flavor that is favored
by many people. A few under ripe fruit helps with the thickening by providing
pectin. Whether or not you leave the skins in will also influence the
flavor, especially varieties with sweet flesh and tart skins, i.e. Methley
Asian plum. If the butter is not sweet enough for your taste add sweetener
(light honey or sugar, etc.) at the end of the cooking. You can also add
spices such as cinnamon, cloves , etc. If you don't have any plums ready
on your trees, you can also make butter out of canned fruit you put up
last summer. 2-3 quart jars of fruit would yield about a pint of butter
for a special occasion. The methley plum butter I made last summer with
skins on and somewhat fermented, has been a big hit this fall with our
employees. Some have likened it to the plum sauce used in Chinese cooking.(hmmm-Asian
plum-Asian plum sauce…)
Enjoy,
Theresa Knutsen.
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