Instructions

1. Wash apples under cold running water. Core, peel, and cut the apples into quarters. Then cut each quarter in half crosswise. You should have 12 cups of chopped apples.
2. Combine apples, water, and apple juice in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, until apples are soft. Puree mixture using an immersion blender, or in batches using a food mill, blender, or food processor.
3. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and puree just to combine.
4. Raise heat to medium-high. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer until apple mixture is dark and thick enough to hold a dollop on a plate with no liquid seeping out around the edges, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. This may take 45 minutes or it could take up to 1-1/2 hours, depending on the width of your pot. Remove from heat. As the hot apple butter thickens, it splatters a bit. If you have one, you may want to use a splatter screen.
5. Let cool completely and portion what you need for the coming week into a container and store in the fridge. We suggest freezing the rest. Apple butter freezes well for 4-6 months. Ball's plastic freezer jars are perfect for storing apple butter and other jams and preserves in the freezer.