Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia / USDA-derived guidance)
Safety reviewed: 09/13/2026
Processing details
Source & provenance
Safety classification: Tested recipe from NCHFP.
Safety summary
Use the specified apple, cider, granulated sucralose, and spice proportions; do not convert another apple-butter recipe by reducing sugar.
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling Water
- Pack style
- Hot
- Jar sizes
- Half-Pint or Pint Jars
- Headspace
- 1/4 inch
- Processing time
- 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Tested source
Safety status: Tested authoritative recipe. Original source. Use the specified apple, cider, granulated sucralose, and spice proportions; do not convert another apple-butter recipe by reducing sugar.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare clean jars, cookware, and ingredients.
- Cook and sieve apples, combine with the tested cider, sucralose, and spices, then reduce to the documented consistency.
- Fill half-pints or pints, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner, nonreactive cookware, preparation tools, jar lifter, and half-pints or pints.
Visual method guide
- Prepare: Follow the source-specific preparation.
- Pack: Hot pack; 1/4 inch.
- Process: 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
- Check: Discard any product showing spoilage.
Safety essentials
Use the specified apple, cider, granulated sucralose, and spice proportions; do not convert another apple-butter recipe by reducing sugar.
About this recipe
Apple Butter, Reduced Sugar is a tested home-canning recipe.
Before you begin
- Method
- Boiling-water
canning - Pack
- Hot pack
- Jar size
- Half-pints or pints
- Headspace
- 1/4 inch
Altitude and processing schedule
15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
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Apple Butter, Reduced Sugar — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 4 lb apples Golden Delicious used in testing
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup granulated sucralose Splenda used in testing
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner
- Canning jars Use the jar size specified.
Directions
- Wash apples, remove stems and cores, and cut into quarters or eighths. Cook unpeeled apples slowly with cider until very soft.
- Press fruit and cider through a food mill. Combine pulp with sucralose and spices; simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter mounds without liquid separating.
- Fill clean hot half-pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe rims and apply lids.
- Process half-pints or pints for 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve after opening or preparation and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the process?
Use the specified apple, cider, granulated sucralose, and spice proportions; do not convert another apple-butter recipe by reducing sugar.
What if spoilage is suspected?
Discard without tasting.
How this recipe compares
This is a separately tested reduced-sugar formulation, not a modification of traditional apple butter.
Troubleshooting
Stir frequently during reduction and use the source’s consistency tests before filling.
Never taste food to determine safety.
Source & provenance
Apple Butter, Reduced Sugar original source. Follow the complete source exactly.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Fall
Months: September, October, November
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
35–70 lb of Apples per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.