Journal

Apple Butter

Apple butter contains no butter, in fact no dairy at all. It’s actually a thick rich apple concentrate, a Northern European invention- you’ll find in supermarket and deli shelves in these parts where it’s calledappelstroop– translated apple syrup.

It is also a traditional product in the States- called apple butter there and brought over by the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, somewhere around the late 17th century.

Apple syrup or butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life than applesauce.

This brand,  made in small batches by a farmer in Limburg (southern Holland) is absolutely the best I’ve ever tasted!

If you can’t get this type, or any other apple butter, spread or syrup you can substitute it by using molasses with a few drops of lemon juice for a tart touch.

My colleagues Marianflint and Maarten van der Wal  did a wonderful foto essay for Jamie Magazine NL on the applestroop process on location at the farmer’s.

I was then invited to write recipes, (find them in the recipe section) using this product and do the food styling for the photo shoot.