Apple Butter

**Updated for less spices, when Shea and I made it we toned 'er down a bit.

Apple Butter: A jam-like condiment that is a combination of apples and spices. It is called a "butter" because in the old days when the cows gave less milk and cream in the winter, they had to have something else besides butter to use on breads and toast. So, the wives would take the excess apple crop and make "apple butter". There is no butter in it...it's like a very thick applesauce type jam with spices. Trent's favorite!

12 cups apple puree (see below)
7 cups white sugar
1/4 cup Cinnamon
2 tsp. Ground Ginger
2 tsp. Ground Allspice
2 tsp.  Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. Ground Clove
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup Clearjel mixed with 1/2 cup of the apple puree

Mix all, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes to thicken. Bottle in hot sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal and process in water bath for 20 minutes. Will keep up to ten years.

Apple Puree:
I slice apples in half and boil them on my camp chef propane stove outside for an hour or so or until they are soft. Then I put them through my victorio strainer which takes out all the seeds, stems, and peels and gives out just the pure apple puree. Easy!