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Apple Butter
Apple butter
is a highly concentrated form of applesauce,
produced by long, slow cooking of apples
with cider
or water to a point where the sugar
in the apples caramelizes.
The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much
longer shelf life as a preserve
than applesauce. It was a popular way of using apples in
colonial America, and well into the 19th century. The term
"butter" refers to the thick, soft consistency,
and its use as a spread for breads. Typically seasoned
with cinnamon,
cloves,
and other spices,
apple butter may be used as a side dish, an ingredient in
baked goods, or as a condiment.
The Pennsylvania
Dutch often include it as part of their traditional seven
sweets and seven sours dinner table array.
In areas of the
American South, the production of apple butter is a family
event, due to the large amount of labor necessary to
produce apple butter in large quantities. It is also used
on a sandwich
to add an interesting flavor, but is not as commonly used
as in historical times.
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