Adding lemon juice to your apple butter recipe plays a vital role in enhancing its flavor profile. It infuses a slight tanginess, balancing the sweetness of the apples and the brown sugar. The acidity from the lemon also aids in preserving the apple butter, contributing to its shelf life. For example, when making apple butter with sweet Fuji or Gala apples, the tapered sweetness with a hint of lemon creates a more balanced, less cloying taste. Its addition takes your homemade apple butter from good to extraordinary, making it a must-include ingredient in your recipe.