Apple Butter in the Oven

4 made it | 1 reviews | 1 photos

Recipe by: LauraF

"I went apple picking and knew I wanted to make apple butter, but I also knew I didn't want to stir it for hours on the stove. I was glad to find recipes for baking it at a low temperature instead. I adapted one I found to make this spiced, not-too-sweet treat! I like it on toast or over oatmeal. Keep refrigerated for a few days, or freeze for later use."

Directions

Combine apples, apple cider, brown sugar and salt in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and allspice. Bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook until apples are soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
Remove whole spices from the pot with a slotted spoon. Reserve cinnamon and star anise; discard cloves and allspice. Puree apples with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and return cinnamon and star anise to the pot.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven, stirring every 30 minutes, until apple butter thickens and deepens in color, about 3 hours. Let cool completely. Discard cinnamon and star anise before transferring to airtight containers.