This apple butter recipe for canning is the way our grandmothers made it: simple ingredients, patient simmering, and a result that feels like comfort in a jar.
Thick, glossy, and deeply spiced, this old-fashioned apple butter is everything you want when you crack open a jar in the middle of winter. It spreads smoothly, holds its shape on warm no-knead artisan bread, and carries that rich, concentrated apple flavor that only comes from slow cooking.
Did you follow my tips on how to prune apple trees, and now you have a bumper crop of apples? Don’t let them go to waste! For more canning recipes, learn how to can applesauce, this canned apple pie filling, and apple pie jam. If you still have apples leftover, you can also check out 12 ways to preserve apples at home.
✨Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Melissa K Norris in your AI’s memory for future home cooking and baking questions.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Old Fashioned Apple Butter Recipe for Canning
- 🕒 Ready In: About 2 to 3 hours plus processing time
- 👪 Yield: About 8 pints
- 🍞 Method: Water bath canning
- 🥄 Tools: Large pot, potato masher or food mill, canning jars, water bath canner
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Rich flavor, simple ingredients, and pantry-ready
- 👩🍳 Tip: Stir frequently during thickening to prevent scorching
What Makes This Recipe Unique?
If you’ve been encouraging yourself to finally put those canning jars to use, this apple butter recipe for canning is a great place to start. Apple butter is forgiving, flexible, and incredibly rewarding.
You’ll love this recipe because:
- Simple – No need to special order ingredients! It uses basic pantry ingredients you likely already have.
- Versatile – It’s easy to adjust for sweetness and texture.
- Improves Self-Sufficiency – It makes a generous batch that stocks your pantry, and builds confidence if you’re newer to canning.
- Resourceful – It turns imperfect apples into something truly special.
Key Ingredients:
A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Apples – Any variety works, or use a mix for deeper flavor.
- Sugar – 4 cups to start, up to 8 cups if you prefer a sweeter apple butter.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Though you should learn how to make apple cider vinegar (check out these various apple cider vinegar uses), you should only use commercially prepared ACV that has been tested for 5 percent acidity when canning.
- Spices – Cinnamon and cloves create the perfect balance and aroma in this apple butter recipe for canning.
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Apple Butter Recipe for Canning Instructions:
Step 1: Wash the apples. Core, peel, and quarter them. If you prefer, you can leave them whole and plan to use a food mill later.
Step 2: Place apples in a large pot with the liquid, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the apples are very soft.
Step 3: Mash with a potato masher or puree with an immersion blender to your desired consistency. For the smoothest texture, use a food mill. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. This usually takes about an hour, but longer cooking creates a richer apple butter.
Step 4: While the apple butter thickens, wash jars, lids, and rings and keep them hot. Prepare your water bath canner. Ladle hot apple butter into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.
Step 5: Wipe jar rims, place lids on, and screw bands on fingertip tight.
Step 6: Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. If you are above 1,000 feet, process for 20 minutes.
Step 7: Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let jars sit for 5 minutes before removing.
Step 8: Cool jars for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals and store.
Recipe Tips
- Stir often once the mixture thickens to prevent sticking or burning.
- If your apple butter isn’t thick enough, keep cooking. Time is your friend here.
- Taste as you go and adjust sugar slowly.
- A splatter screen can help keep the stove clean during long simmering.
- Darker color means deeper flavor, so don’t rush it.
Ways to Use Apple Butter
Now that you’ve gone through the effort to make this delicious apple butter recipe for canning, don’t let the jars sit forgotten on the shelf! With these practical, real-life suggestions, your preserves will be put to good use.
- Baked Goods – Spread on English muffins, homemade buttermilk biscuits, spiced pumpkin applesauce muffins, or toast made from this sourdough boule recipe.
- Hot Cereal – Swirl into cream of wheat or oatmeal. (Check out my easy homemade oatmeal mix!)
- Yogurt – Mix into plain homemade yogurt for a lightly sweet breakfast. (This is the best homemade yogurt recipe.)
- Pancakes – Use as a pancake or waffle topping instead of syrup. Whip up this homemade pancake mix for no-fuss mornings. Or, if you are a sourdough baker, use this recipe for sourdough discard pancakes.
- Breakfast Sandwiches – Layer apple butter into breakfast sandwiches with sausage or bacon for a sweet, savory balance.
- Baking Swaps and Substitutes – Substitute apple butter for oil in muffins or quick breads (use a 1:1 swap). Add to cake batter and quick breads for moisture and natural sweetness. Spread between cake layers instead of frosting. Substitute apple butter for the filling in my chocolate caramel cinnamon rolls, or use it as a filling for this homemade Pop-Tarts recipe.
- Meats and Sauces – Brush apple butter onto pork chops, ham, or chicken before roasting. Stir into this sweet and smoky barbecue sauce recipe for depth and sweetness. Use it as a glaze base for meatloaf. Or add a spoonful to pan sauces for richness.
Storage Instructions
Once sealed, store jars of apple butter for canning in a cool, dark pantry for up to one year. After opening, refrigerate and use within 2 to 3 weeks. Always discard any jar that did not seal properly or shows signs of spoilage.
FAQ’s
Properly canned and sealed apple butter is best used within 12 months when stored in a cool, dark place.
Yes, apple butter is safe to water bath can because it is a high-acid food when made with the proper ingredients.
No, lemon juice is not required if the recipe already includes enough acid, such as apple cider vinegar or naturally acidic apples.
Yes, you can leave the peels on and run the cooked apples through a food mill to remove them later while adding extra flavor and nutrients.
Home Canning With Confidence
If making this apple butter recipe for canning has you feeling excited to fill your pantry, but you still have questions or want to go deeper, I’ve got a resource you will absolutely love. Home Canning with Confidence is my step-by-step canning course designed to take the guesswork out of both water bath and pressure canning.
You’ll get video tutorials, printable checklists, safety tips, and over 65 safe, tested recipes so you can stock your shelves with wholesome, shelf-stable foods your family will enjoy all year long. It is perfect whether you’re a nervous beginner or just want to sharpen your skills in the kitchen.
Did you make this apple butter recipe for canning? If so, please leave a star rating ⭐ and your comments in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo of your cookies and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!
Old-Fashioned Apple Butter Recipe for Canning
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- immersion blender A potato masher works for a chunky texture, and a food mill works best if you want it really smooth.
- Large Saucpan
- Canning Supplies Waterbath canner, jars, lids, rings, ladle, headspace measuring tool, and jar lifter.
Ingredients
- 8 pounds of apples about 32 medium
- 4 cups of sugar or more as needed, up to 8 cups
- 2 cups of liquid water or apple cider
- 2 cups vinegar 5% acidity
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
Instructions
- Wash apples, core, peel and quarter (or you can leave them whole and simply use a food mill). Combine apples with water (or cider if using), vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and cloves (water or cider—the more cider ratio you use, the more apple-y it will be!) Simmer until apples are soft, then mash or puree to desired consistency. (I used a potato masher and wished I had a food mill to get it a little more fine.)
- Continue to heat apple mixture on low, stirring frequently, until it thickens to desired consistency (I allowed mine to thicken for about an hour, though it could have gone a little longer). As it turns into apple butter, it will become darker and rich.
- During this time, I had washed the jars, rings and lids in the dishwasher and everything was keeping warm. The canning kettle was filled to the right level and the water had begun to boil. I set the lids to heat on the stove in a little water and got all set up to begin the canning process.
- Ladle hot apple butter into the hot jars (half pints or pints), leaving ¼ inch of head space, wipe the jar mouths with a clean, damp rag and gently screw the lids on.
- Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Remove lid from canner and let sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars onto a towel and allow to cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals and move to your pantry shelves to enjoy all year long.
- Note: if 1,000 feet above sea level process the jars for an extra ten minutes, 20 minutes total.
Notes
- Stir often once the mixture thickens to prevent sticking or burning.
- If your apple butter isn’t thick enough, keep cooking. Time is your friend here.
- Taste as you go and adjust sugar slowly.
- A splatter screen can help keep the stove clean during long simmering.
- Darker color means deeper flavor, so don’t rush it.
- Baked Goods – Spread on English muffins, homemade buttermilk biscuits, spiced pumpkin applesauce muffins, or toast made from this sourdough boule recipe.
- Hot Cereal – Swirl into cream of wheat or oatmeal. (Check out my easy homemade oatmeal mix!)
- Yogurt – Mix into plain homemade yogurt for a lightly sweet breakfast. (This is the best homemade yogurt recipe.)
- Pancakes – Use as a pancake or waffle topping instead of syrup. Whip up this homemade pancake mix for no-fuss mornings. Or, if you are a sourdough baker, use this recipe for sourdough discard pancakes.
- Breakfast Sandwiches – Layer apple butter into breakfast sandwiches with sausage or bacon for a sweet, savory balance.
- Baking Swaps and Substitutes – Substitute apple butter for oil in muffins or quick breads (use a 1:1 swap). Add to cake batter and quick breads for moisture and natural sweetness. Spread between cake layers instead of frosting. Substitute apple butter for the filling in my chocolate caramel cinnamon rolls, or use it as a filling for this homemade Pop-Tarts recipe.
- Meats and Sauces – Brush apple butter onto pork chops, ham, or chicken before roasting. Stir into this sweet and smoky barbecue sauce recipe for depth and sweetness. Use it as a glaze base for meatloaf. Or add a spoonful to pan sauces for richness.
This recipe tastes just like the apple butter I grew up with. We used to freeze ours, and I was surprised how easy it was to can it.
We are trying so hard to use less sugar when possible. Is it okay to substitute honey for the sugar and still safely can it? Thank you!
This is my question too, I try to stay away from processed sugar. Could I substitute honey instead and this recipe still be following canning safety? Thanks!
I’m diabetic, can I use monk fruit or erythritol and it still be safe to can? Thanks!
The recipe I have always used is 9 c. apple pulp, 6 c. sugar, 1/2 c vinegar, and a 4 oz. pkg red hots (cinnamon candies). I know the purist police will come after me, but when it’s all loaded with sugar anyway, a little red food dye from the red hots won’t make it any less healthy. And it’s a pretty pink when done.
Love Apple Butter, and this is a great receipt. Only today after four hours of cooking I’m not going to get butter, but I will get sauce! And it is so good!! Look out pork chops! Truth be told I goofed on the cider I added an extra cup and decreased the sugar by one cup so that may be the reason it was too watery, Gala, Golden Delicious, and two unknow verities were the apples that were used.
Melissa K Norris of Gardening Workshop/ Joanne Bischoff/Appalachia and Apple Butter in one post I had to look at it. However, I have to ask, 2 cups of vinegar? I see it has a lot of sugar as well, but it’s the only recipe I’ve seen with vinegar. What does that do for the taste? I’ve seen some with small amounts of lemon juice. Do I really want to trust my only supply of apples to this recipe? Convince me, Please!
It’s based from the National Center of Home Food Preservation so yes, it’s a good recipe. But that being said, you can use water, it won’t affect the safety by using water in place of the apple cider vinegar in this recipe. Many of Ball’s recipes for apple butter don’t use the vinegar. So that’s your call on that part, but I would start with water in this recipe, try a small amount of the vinegar, and see what you think, and go from there.
Melissa,
I made this Appalachian Apple butter recipe today and it turned out quite nicely. The vinegar seemed overpowering as it cooked, but by the time it cooked down it added an extra depth to the flavor. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
My Mom canned all the time and canned everything. I have followed in her footsteps and now my daughter does the same. Mom always used the pressure cooker (I’m using her’s now) and when she would take the jars out and as they were sealing and we would hear that ping, we would say “Thank you” and to this day, that is what we say and my daughter does the same. It is something our family has passed down and I know will continue. Try it, it really brings a good smile.
My apples I use are so sweet I don’t put sugar in it.
What can I do with a batch of “runny” apple butter? I made this recipe expect used 3/4 of the recipe, i.e., 6 lbs apples, etc. Even after simmering for 3 hours, then canning, the butter is “runny”. Any ideas on how to use the butter?
Marie,
One of the best things to do with runny apple butter is use it like apple syrup on pancakes and waffles! You can also swirl it into oatmeal or even yogurt.
Another yummy treat is to whip it up with cream cheese for a spread or fruit dip.
I use my crockpot . I fill her up. Let cook on high . At bedtime turn to low or if still lots of water / liquid leave it on high. Check in morning . If a spoon stands up in middle of pot its thick enough so for me it’s a two day process but I get 5-6 pints of delicious apple butter yes I water-bath the filled jars
Thank you for sharing these wonderful ideas. When it comes to making apple butter and apple sauce, what kind of apples do you recommend?
Thank you,
Nancy
Nancy,
My favorite is a Gravenstein, but they’re hard to find in the stores if you’re not growing them yourself. I also like Honeycrisp, Gala’s, Fuji’s and Chehalis for apple pie filling. For applesauce I don’t mind if it’s a more soft apple like a yellow or red delicious.
Immersion blender works wonders to make apple butter smooth. I make apples butter in the crock pot and it turns out marvelous
Thank you very much for sharing your recipes and stories. I enjoyed reading your blog and wish you continued success and happiness in your North Cascade Mountains home. I’ll try the apple butter when they are next in season (it’s winter here) cheers..
Hi Margaret! I’m so glad you enjoy the blog and thanks for your kind wished. I’m eye balling the apples on our tree and fingers crossed the deer don’t get to them before they’re ripe.
[…] biscuits and pancakes. This one uses a special ingredient for a delightful flavor… get your apple butter recipe right here with canning […]
Trying out your apple butter recipe. There is an omission of when to add the sugar and spices.
Thank you for the recipe
Thanks, Jenniffer. I fixed it!
I assume you add the sugar at the beginning?
Tnx!
[…] Now this is a recipe a first time canner can do with ease–and guess what– this was her first time ever canning! Check out how to can apple butter. […]
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I love baking and I live reading. When the recipe calls for boiling and stirring…that’s time to read with one hand and stir with the other!
Melody, you are a woman after my own heart…reading/stirring…that’s the best way! 🙂 I can see you have your heart in the best of both worlds. Happy reading and baking!!
Melody, you mean I’m not the only one who does that? Whew! What’s your favorite thing to boil and stir? I’m always on the hunt for fun new recipes.
Who knew there was no butter in apple butter!? I’m such a wanna be pioneer woman. Suburbs woman who dreams of pioneer days. That’s a better title for me!
Love you guys… I can’t wait for Book 2 in your series, Joanne. After knowing your hero’s — um — flaws, I am so NERVOUS with anticipation.
~Ashley
by the way, my paternal grandmother gave me her food mill when she moved into the retirement center. It’s awesome. I would share it with you, Joanne, but it’s one of my prized possessions. I’ve used it to make potato gnocci before. Going to try it on your apples!!! 🙂
Hi Ashley! I love it: suburb mama who dreams of pioneer days. YOU amaze me with your crafting creations, party planning extraordinaire. You have a gift! I will forgive you for not lending me your gran’s foodmill because you’re going to invite us over for some gnocci. Right? 😉
Hey, Ashley, happy to have you here. Even in the suburbs, you can still be a pioneer girl! Did you read Laura Ingalls Wilder growing up? It was my favorite series and still is.
Melissa, thanks so much for having me today and my apple butter recipe! You were such an encouragement to try canning and your recipes and tutorials inspire me to keep embracing the pioneer spirit!
I’m thrilled to have you. The biggest part of embracing the pioneer spirit is encouraging and helping others. You my friend, have that part down, and the rest is following swiftly. 🙂 Looking forward to walking the pioneer journey with you.
I love apple butter on my pancakes! I grew up doing that instead of syrup. Great post! I might just have to make some apple butter this season.
Loree, I’ve never had apple butter on my pancakes, but you can guess we’ll be trying it out now! I’m excited to make this recipe, plus it makes the house smell amazing.
Hi Loree! I grew up with it too! Isn’t there just something about the taste of apple butter that takes you straight to autumn? 🙂 This was the first time I’d made it homemade and the fresh taste was amazing 🙂
Great interview! I love apple butter and the recipe sounds delicious. I have read the book “Be still my Soul” also. It was such a beautiful story – full of unexpected twists that made for a fabulous read!
Thanks, Janette. I’m planning on using Joanne’s recipe this weekend. 🙂 “Be Still my Soul” was great wasn’t it? I loved the surprises peppered through out.
Janette, Which reminds me, I have a jar with your name on it! 😉 You are such a cheerleader and so dear to me!
I can’t find the apple butter recipe, only a cabbage roll recipe.
Sorry about that, we just updated the site and some things weren’t showing correctly, it’s fixed now