• Peel, core and dice the apples then weigh again. You need between 1700-1750g diced apple. Add more apple if you don’t have enough.
• Place the diced apples in a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the apples have softened (about 20 minutes).
• Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan assisted / gas mark 3.5 / 335°F.
• Remove the apples from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the cooked apples with the cooking liquid.
• Pour the blended apple puree into a large roasting tray, so the puree is about 2 inches thick and bake fo rtwo hours until extremely thick. Remove the roasting pan out of the oven every 30 minutes to stir.
• When the apple butter is ready use the immersion blender again to blend the thickened apple butter to smooth out the final result then spoon into sterilized jars.
• You can either store the apple butter in the fridge for between 3-4 weeks or you can process the filled jars so they are shelf stable by sealing them in a water-bath. Then the jars can be kept for 6-12 months in a cool dark place.

Water-Bath Processing

• Place a tea towel or wire trivet in the bottom of your pan so your filled jars do not touch the bottom of the pan.
• Fill the preserving pan with water and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Bring to the boil, it should be at a rolling boil for a good 15 minutes before you add your jars. 
• Submerge your jars into the water bath so that they are covered by, at least, an inch of water and sitting upright on the tea towel or trivet.
• Place the lid on the preserving pan and keep the water at a rolling boil for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars with jar tongs and leave them undisturbed in a safe place until they have cooled down completely. Test the lids to make sure they have been sealed and don’t pop up when pressed.