Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-10-29

In Many Communities Apple Butt
prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture.)
To many people fruit butter means
apple butter and nothing else; but
good as well-made apple butter is,
that made from pears and peaches is
equally good, and a supply made from
different fruits will add variety to the
preserve shelf.
The following recipes for various
kinds of fruit buffers have been tested
in the laboratories of the United States
Department of Agriculture, and are
recommended as delicious and whole
some:
Apple Butter With Cider.
The peeled and sliced apples may be
cooked in the boiled cider to make the
butter in one operation or they may be
made first into apple sauce, which is
then cooked in the boiled cider. With
apples of coarse texture the latter
method is no doubt preferable; other
wise the method to be used is one of
personal choice, as both make equally
good butter. The cooking should be
continued until the cider and apples
do not separate, and the butter, when
cold, will be as thick as good apple
sauce. The thickness is determined
at frequent intervals by cooling small
portions.
1t usually takes about equal quaint
ties of sweet cider and peeled and
sliced apples to make butter Of the
right consistency. In other words, 5
gallons of sweet cider should be
boiled down to 21s gallons, and gal
Ions Of peeled and sliced apples should
be added to 1t either uncooked or as
apple sauce.
Two of the essentials of making
good apple butter are long, slow cook
Ing a to 5 hours) and constant stir
ring. If sugar is used, it should be
added after the cooking Of cider and
apples is about two-thirds done About
pound Of either white or brown
sugar is the usual proportion per gal
lon of apple butter, but more or less
Cor not any may be used, to suit the
taste. Apple butter is spiced accord
ing to taste, about half a teaspoonrul
each Of ground cinnamon, cloves, and
allspice being used for each gallon.
These are stirred into 1t when the
cooking is finished.
While still boiling hot, apple butter
should be packed in hot sterilized
glasses, glass jars, or Dramatically
sealed stone jars, with tightly fitting
covers, and processed in a steamer, If
1t is to be kept for some weeks or
months.
Apple Butter With Grape Juice.
If a grape flavor is desired in apple
butter it may be obtained by the use of
grape juice. To each gallon of peeled
and sliced apples, cooked into sauce
and strained, / pint Of grape juice, 1
cup of brown sugar, and Il Of a tea
spoonful of salt should be added
These should cook slowly and be
stirred often for two hours or until
Of the desired thickness, then stir in
i teaspoonful Of cinnamon and pack
hot in hot containers and sterilize.
The pears should be. ripe enough
to cook up well. After being peeled
they are cored and sliced, put in a
preserving kettle with a little water,
and cooked slowly until soft. The
sugar is then added, l cup to l quart
of sliced pears, and cooking is con-
tinued very slowly, with frequent
stirring, for IL to 2 hours. The butter
should then be smooth and of the con-
sistency Of thick apple sauce. A little
lemon juice, with ginger, cinnamon,
or other spices to taste, should be well
stirred into the hot butter. Pack while
hot in hot scalded containers ana
process with steam.
Peach Butter.
Put the peaches in a wire basket and
dip them in boiling water a few sec
onds until the skin slips-test by rails
Ing the fruit out of the water and
rubbing the skin between the fingers.
Dip the peaches into cold water, peel,
and pit them. Well-ripened freestone
varieties are best. Mash the pulp, and
cook it in its own juice without add
ing water If it is rather coarse, put
II through a cOlander or coarse wire
sieve to make butter of fine texture.