CHAMOMILE APPLE BUTTER
Hi! First of all- thank you SO much for being here on this page! This is my first recipe to post, a feature I am truly so thrilled to be sharing with you. These recipes and guides are my way to bring a little bit of Meadow Bakery magic into your very own home! And beginning with a recipe I've had on repeat in my kitchen these past few months, apple butter! This chamomile infused apple butter is easy to make, versatile, and will make your home smell absolutely amazing. A bit of honey amplifies the sweetness the apples already hold, so I'd consider it a healthy little treat. It can be added to pretty much any of your staples: toast, pancakes, ice cream, oatmeal, inside pop tarts (which hopefully you've tried from me!) yogurt, meat, butternut squash, really anything! For the winter solstice, my partner put it on pork chops which was just unbelievable!
To begin, let's break down our ingredients and their magical properties!
AppLes:
Chamomile:
Honey:
Cinnamon:
Ginger:
Nutmeg:
Clove:
Vanilla Bean:
Lemon:
garden magic, for love, healing and a symbol of immortality
relaxation, calming, purification, releases tension
protection, love, lust, healing, helps balance blood sugar
love, money, success, aids digestion
protection, love, anti-inflammatory
longevity, purification, represents the sun
love, mental powers, abundance
antibacterial, healing (physical and spiritual), used in fairy magic
love, health, used as a good luck charm, prosperity
The Steps
First, start by making one cup of chamomile tea. I prefer to use fresh or dried flowers, but a tea bag will work just fine! Reserve 1/2 cup of tea to use for the recipe, and the rest is yours to enjoy while you make the apple butter!
Next, peel and chop 5 apples of your choice. My personal favorite is honeycrisp- but any apples will do! Perhaps a combo of your favorites. Add these to a heavy bottomed pot, or dutch oven.
Add the spices, vanilla bean, 1 tbps of lemon juice, honey, and a half cup of chamomile tea and mix.
Cover and cook on medium low heat until the apples are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
I highly recommend using an immersion blender for this next step, but a potato masher will also work. Blend or mash the apples until smooth, similar to applesauce consistency. Taste and add spices or honey if you'd like!
From here, cook on low heat, uncovered, until the apple butter is thickened, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Let cool slightly before adding to a mason jar and refrigerating. It should last about two weeks in the fridge!
INGREDIENTS:
5 apples
2-3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 cup chamomile tea
1 tbps lemon juice