Homemade Apple Butter

Apple butter is basically applesauce that’s gone the distance: Cook apples until soft, purée them, then keep cooking to concentrate the mixture into a dark, velvety, intensely fruity spread. It’s that spreadable texture that gives apple butter its name—no actual butter involved. This version gets warm spice from cinnamon and cloves and a sweet-tart boost from apple cider.For the best apple butter, use a mix of sweet and tart apples, such as Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious. Unlike apples destined for pie, they don’t need to hold their shape—you want them to collapse. There’s no need to peel or core them either: The skins contribute flavor and the cores supply pectin, which helps the spread thicken. Once the fruit is soft, a food mill quickly separates the purée from the peels, seeds, and whole spices. Pressing the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer with a flexible spatula works too, but will require a bit more effort.Spoon your homemade apple butter over waffles or ice cream, slather it on toast, serve it alongside pork chops, or layer it into Appalachian Apple Stack Cake.