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Instant Pot Apple Butter

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 -4 pints
Author Si Foster, A Bountiful Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs apples any type of sweet apple - do not remove peel
  • 1/2 cup water * see recipe notes about this amount of water
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • dash salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • For a family-sized batch or to share with friends:
  • 8-10 apples or about 5 lbs apples before cutting
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 dashes salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice same as with small batch

Instructions

  1. Wash apples, remove any stickers and cut the apples into fourths.
  2. Place apple on a cutting board and cut each side (4 cuts) until just the core is left in the middle (see photo). Discard core.
  3. Place the apples into the Instant Pot and add water, spice, brown sugar and salt.
  4. Make sure rubber seal is in place inside the Instant Pot lid. Close and secure the lid to the locked position. Check to make sure the vent is turned to SEAL.
  5. Push MANUAL setting, and set the timer for 15 minutes, adjust time using the up or down arrow. START or push MANUAL again to begin cooking.

  6. When timer is finished, let pressure in pot release naturally for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the dial to the VENT position and let any remaining steam release.

  7. Let the apples cook on the Saute setting or Slow Cooker setting, while stirring in lemon juice. Place the immersion blender into the Instant Pot and pulse until smooth, moving the blender around the pan as you bend up bits of apple until completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, let the apple butter cool for about 30 minutes, then place the apple mixture in blender in small batches until smooth.
  8. Spoon apple butter into jars or other containers. Use with in 10 days, store in refrigerator or freeze until ready to use.
  9. Makes about 3-4 pints for large batch, depending on how much you sample before placing in jars :)

Recipe Notes

  • Initially, the recipe called for 2 tablespoons of water added to the apples. A few readers have said their Instant Pot has given an error message "burn". To eliminate this issue, we have amended the recipe from 2 tablespoons of water to 1/2 cup to ensure there is enough water in the pot to bring it to proper pressure and not trigger a "burn" message. I have made this recipe using 2 tablespoons of water, but want to avoid any problems for readers while in the middle of cooking the apples! I suspect the juiciness of the apples has something to do with how they cook up and if they do or do not produce a burn message.
  • If after the apple butter is cooked and blended it seems not quite thick enough, you may cook with lid off in Instant Pot for additional time on Sauté setting. Make sure to stir apples to prevent scorching!