The "secret recipe" for the apple butter shown here (at right) remains secret. Our local history museum always looked forward to having some on hand for the gift shop, but the main chefs have since retired. I have to admit it was some of the best I ever tasted.
As far as I know there were two types of apples used from one of the local apple orchards. I was also told how important it was for the butter to show no sign of runny liquid oozing from the sauce when placed on a plate. If it runs, it's not done. In lieu of the NWVFR apple butter, I've decided to include an "old-fashioned" recipe I found in Carla Emery's book titled "The Encyclopedia of Country Living".
"This is the traditional apple butter made of pared apples boiled down with cider. Boil 5 c. apple cider in an enamel or stainless steel pan. (Optional: For extra redness start with 12 c. cider and boil it down to 6 c.) While the cider is boiling down, core and quarter about 10 lb. of apples. Add apples when the cider is ready and continue cooking slowly until they're tender. Put it through your colander. Put your butter back into the pan and add 1 1/2 c. brown sugar (or more to taste - it depends some on the sweetness of your apple variety).
Optional: add 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 t. allspice, 1/4 tsp. cloves, and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking over very low heat, stirring a lot, until the cider and sauce do not separate when a spoonful is placed on a plate. Then pour into containers for canning or freezing."
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