Instant Pot Apple Butter

 This year my apple tree had REAL apples.  I say real because the first year or so the apples have no flavor and are just solid blobs on a tree.  This year those blobs were apples!  They are still small, but that just means I need to use more of them. So, what to make?

I saw a picture of some Irish soda bread today.  I like Irish soda bread.  It is really easy to make.  I love it with jam.  My favorite jam, well not jam jam, is apple butter.  

So apple picking I went.

What you need:

5 pounds of apples, quartered and seeded

4 sticks of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 pinch of salt

1/4 cup of water

1 teaspoon of vanilla

You don’t need to peel your apples for this.  That’s one of the things that I like about apple butter in the Instant Pot.  After you cook them up you blend them, and the soft peels just incorporate completely.  So, let’s get started!

Toss the apples, sticks, spices and water into the stainless steel pot of the Instant Pot.  Stir well so that the water soaks all the way to the bottom.  Place the lid on and set for sealing.  Adjust the pressure cooker settings to five minutes and wait.  **Note** you may get a food burn warning depending on how much moisture is in your apples.  If this happens, release the pressure and check the contents.  The apples may already be soft to the touch with liquid on the bottom.  IF this happens, you are ok!  Don’t panic.  Just skip to the blender.  If they are not soft, add another 1/4 to 1/2 Cup of water and start again, but for about three minutes.

When timer goes off let the pressure cooker naturally release for 20 minutes.  Now we add to the blender, but be sure to take out the cinnamon sticks as you pour it into the blender.  The cloves are soft and can be removed or stay in, whatever your preference.  Carefully blend/purée the apples until they reach an applesauce consistency and return to the pot.  Add the vanilla.  Set the crockpot option on the Instant Pot and let the sauce reduce.  This may take up to four hours.

As always, taste your creation and adjust the seasoning.  You may want to add sugar, honey, or a sweetener of some type as it simmers in the crockpot. This will depend on the sweetness of your apples, and your personal taste.