Paco's Apples, Apples and Apples...

Apples, Apples & More Apples...

and Don't Forget the Apples...

Starting in the back right of the photo,
working counter-clockwise:
Steamer/Juicer, Jugs of Juice, Victorio Strainer,
bowl pure apple pulp, Dried apples
and Canned Apple Pie

I love homemade Apple Butter. I never really liked the store-bought apple butter, as it seemed too thick, like molasses. Plus, I could never really taste the apples. Other apple butter seemed to taste of CLOVES only, and I was a little put off by it all. I wanted to taste a smooth APPLE butter.

I have played quite a bit over the years and have developed my own recipe for apple butter. The method of using a Steam Juicer and a Victorio Strainer is really the only way I will ever process my apples. And one can't really make apple butter without making all the other apples: Applesauce, Apple Butter, Apple Juice, Apple Jelly, Canned Apple Pie, Dried Apple Cinnamon Chips and more recently, my happy accident of Apple Fruit Leather.

Canned Nectarine Plum Jelly

Stone fruits! Who doesn't love em?

I love it when I stumble upon something delicious! Honestly, I have been a little busy quilting lately and have been juicing my fruits and saving them in the freezer until I had time to make jelly out of them. I had juiced my peaches and tried to make jelly out of the peach juice. What a mistake! Peaches do not juice well. There is not much flavor. Save your peaches for the Peach Maple Syrup recipe that is coming soon. Pit them, slice them and freeze them. 

Now, nectarines and plums make a nice juice! Nectarine juice is sweet while plum juice is sour. I suppose you can buy the juice already made from the grocery store, but I highly recommend juicing yourself. The flavor is so much better, especially if they are locally grown. I use a steam juicer that was gifted to me.